Netanyahu: Cabinet to issue IDF new directives to achieve Gaza war goals
A cabinet meeting will be held later this week to instruct the IDF on how to move forward with the objectives of the Israel-Hamas War, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Monday.
The objectives are the return of the remaining 50 hostages from Hamas captivity and the end of the terrorist group's domination over the Palestinian enclave, Netanyahu said.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in response to Netanyahu's statements that 'great and historic accomplishments' have been made during the war.
'Because we were not divided,' Smotrich added. 'Because we stand together and fight together.'
To sustain the State of Israel's success, he said, 'We need to continue standing together and fighting together to achieve the war objectives that we set – all of them: defeating the enemy, releasing our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.'
Smotrich added that two new projects were set to begin in the South to support the rehabilitation and development of the communities that were decimated during Hamas's October 7 massacre.
Restoring and developing Israel's South
The projects, totaling a value of NIS 3.2 billion, will focus on Ashkelon, Ofakim, Netivot, Merhavim, Eshkol, Sha'ar Hanegev, and Shadmot in the Negev.
In Ashkelon, plans are underway to invest in education, infrastructure, culture, sports, and the local economy, Smotrich said.
In the other areas mentioned, the finance minister said that the government would invest in the development of industrial zones, innovation and research centers, and opening Israel's first Paralympic village for athletes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
28 minutes ago
- New York Times
Days After Pledging a New Attack in Gaza, Israel's Plan Is Still Unclear
Since its announcement on Friday, Israel's plan to capture Gaza City has been roundly criticized inside and outside Israel. Palestinians and foreign leaders say the plan will prolong the war and the suffering of Palestinian civilians. The Israeli left says it will likely endanger hostages still held by Hamas. The Israeli right says it will not do enough to defeat Hamas. Now, a new criticism is emerging within Israel: There is little clarity over what exactly this operation will involve. While there have been vague proclamations by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's military has yet to complete the tactical battle plan. There has been no public confirmation of how long any occupation of the city will last — or when it will begin, and how it will differ from Israel's capture of Gaza City in the opening months of the war in 2023. Intense Israeli strikes continued overnight into Monday, killing several Al Jazeera journalists and forcing the displacement of civilians in some Gaza City neighborhoods. But the Army has not yet mobilized the tens of thousands of military reservists who will most likely be needed to staff the broader operation. And while Israel has threatened to force out the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians still living in Gaza City, it has yet to order their expulsion. Over the weekend, Mr. Netanyahu doubled down on the threat to capture Gaza City, saying at a press briefing that Israel had 'no choice' but to proceed because Hamas had yet to surrender. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Associated Press
28 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Iran says talks with IAEA will be 'technical' and 'complicated' ahead of agency's planned visit
TEHRAN (AP) — Talks between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency will be 'technical' and 'complicated,' the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry said Monday ahead of a visit by the nuclear watchdog for the first time since Tehran cut ties with the organization last month. Relations between the two soured after a 12-day air war was waged by Israel and the U.S in June, which saw key Iranian nuclear facilities bombed. The IAEA board said on June 12 Iran had breached its non-proliferation obligations, a day before Israel's airstrikes over Iran that sparked the war. The IAEA did not immediately issue a statement about the visit by the agency's deputy head, which will not include any planned access to Iranian nuclear sites. Esmail Baghaei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told reporters there could be a meeting with Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi, 'but it is a bit soon to predict what the talks will result since these are technical talks, complicated talks.' Baghaei also criticized the IAEA's 'unique situation' during the June war with Israel. 'Peaceful facilities of a country that was under 24-hour monitoring were the target of strikes and the agency refrained from showing a wise and rational reaction and did not condemn it as it was required,' he said. Aragchi had previously said that cooperation with the agency, which will now require approval by Iran's highest security body, the Supreme National Security Council, would be about redefining how both sides cooperate. The decision will likely further limit inspectors' ability to track Tehran's program that had been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on July 3 ordered the country to suspend its cooperation with the IAEA, after the U.S. bombed three major Iranian nuclear sites as Israel waged an air war with Iran, killing nearly 1,100 people, including many military commanders. Retaliatory Iranian strikes killed 28 in Israel. Iran has had limited IAEA inspections in the past as a pressure tactic in negotiating with the West, and it is unclear how soon talks between Tehran and Washington for a deal over its nuclear program will resume. U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA had assessed Iran last had an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. — Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
Washington Post
28 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Iran says talks with IAEA will be 'technical' and 'complicated' ahead of agency's planned visit
TEHRAN — Talks between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency will be 'technical' and 'complicated,' the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry said Monday ahead of a visit by the nuclear watchdog for the first time since Tehran cut ties with the organization last month. Relations between the two soured after a 12-day air war was waged by Israel and the U.S in June, which saw key Iranian nuclear facilities bombed. The IAEA board said on June 12 Iran had breached its non-proliferation obligations, a day before Israel's airstrikes over Iran that sparked the war.
