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Kuwait Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
‘Nothing will be left': Zionists prepare for Gaza City battle
JERUSALEM: In a dense urban landscape, with likely thousands of Hamas fighters lying in wait, taking Gaza City will be a difficult and costly slog for the Zionist army, security experts say. On Sunday, Zionist entity Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out his vision of victory in Gaza following 22 months of war --- with the military ordered to attack the last remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps further south. With a pre-war population of some 760,000, according to official figures, Gaza City was the biggest of any municipal area in the Palestinian territories. But following the unprecedented Hamas attack on Zionist entity in 2023 that sparked the war, its population has only swelled, with thousands of displaced people fleeing intensive military operations to the north. Gaza City itself has come under intense aerial bombardment, and its remaining apartment buildings now rub shoulders with tents and other makeshift shelters. Amir Avivi, a former Zionist general and head of the Zionist Defense and Security Forum think tank, described the city as the 'heart of Hamas's rule in Gaza'. 'Gaza City has always been the center of government and also has the strongest brigade of Hamas,' he said. The first challenge for Zionist troops relates to Netanyahu's call for the evacuation of civilians—how such a feat will be carried out remains unclear. Unlike the rest of the Strip, where most of the population has been displaced at least once, around 300,000 residents of Gaza City have not moved since the outbreak of the conflict, according to Avivi. Zionist entity has already tried to push civilians further south to so-called humanitarian zones established by the military, but there is likely little space to accommodate more arrivals. 'You cannot put another one million people over there. It will be a horrible humanitarian crisis,' said Michael Milshtein, a Zionist entity's former military intelligence officer. According to Avivi, humanitarian aid would be mainly distributed south of Gaza City in order to encourage residents to move toward future distribution sites managed by the US- and Zionist entity-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Up from just four currently, the GHF plans to operate 16 sites. However, Gaza's civil defense agency says Zionist troops are firing at and killing civilians daily around the sites. Human Rights Watch has called them a 'death trap', while the UN and other groups have lashed out at what they call a militarization of aid. According to Michael Milshtein, who heads the Palestinian Studies Program at Tel Aviv University, Hamas's military wing could have as many as 10,000 to 15,000 fighters in Gaza City, many of them freshly recruited. 'It's very easy to convince a 17, 18, 19-year-old Palestinian to be a part of Al-Qassam Brigades,' Milshtein told AFP, referring to Hamas's armed wing as he cited a lack of opportunities for much Gaza's population. 'While (Zionist entity's army) prepares itself, Hamas also prepares itself for the coming warfare, if it takes place,' he added, predicting that the battle could end up being 'very similar to Stalingrad.' He was referring to the battle for the city now known as Volgograd, one of the longest and bloodiest in World War II. The Zionist army will encounter obstacles including a vast network of tunnels where Zionist hostages are likely being held, along with weapons depots, hiding places and combat posts. Other obstacles could include improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the use of civilians as human shields in a dense urban maze of narrow alleys and tall buildings, according to press reports. 'It's almost impossible to go in there without creating both hostage casualties and a large humanitarian disaster,' said Mairav Zonszein of the International Crisis Group. The material destruction, she added, will be enormous. 'They will simply destroy everything, and then nothing will be left,' she said. Despite rumored disagreements over the plan by the chief of the army Eyal Zamir, the general said his forces 'will be able to conquer Gaza City, just as it did in Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south,' according to a statement on Monday. 'Our forces have operated there in the past, and we will know how to do it again.' – AFP
Nahar Net
12-08-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
'Nothing will be left': Israel prepares for Gaza City battle
by Naharnet Newsdesk 12 August 2025, 12:53 In a dense urban landscape, with likely thousands of Hamas fighters lying in wait, taking Gaza City will be a difficult and costly slog for the Israeli army, security experts say. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out his vision of victory in Gaza following 22 months of war --- with the military ordered to attack the last remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps further south. With a pre-war population of some 760,000, according to official figures, Gaza City was the biggest of any municipal area in the Palestinian territories. But following the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 that sparked the war, its population has only swelled, with thousands of displaced people fleeing intensive military operations to the north. Gaza City itself has come under intense aerial bombardment, and its remaining apartment buildings now rub shoulders with tents and other makeshift shelters. - 'Death trap' - Amir Avivi, a former Israeli general and head of the Israeli Defense and Security Forum think tank, described the city as the "heart of Hamas's rule in Gaza". "Gaza City has always been the center of government and also has the strongest brigade of Hamas," he said. The first challenge for Israeli troops relates to Netanyahu's call for the evacuation of civilians -- how such a feat will be carried out remains unclear. Unlike the rest of the Strip, where most of the population has been displaced at least once, around 300,000 residents of Gaza City have not moved since the outbreak of the conflict, according to Avivi. Israel has already tried to push civilians further south to so-called humanitarian zones established by the military, but there is likely little space to accommodate more arrivals. "You cannot put another one million people over there. It will be a horrible humanitarian crisis," said Michael Milshtein, an Israeli former military intelligence officer. According to Avivi, humanitarian aid would be mainly distributed south of Gaza City in order to encourage residents to move toward future distribution sites managed by the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Up from just four currently, the GHF plans to operate 16 sites. However, Gaza's civil defense agency says Israeli troops are firing at and killing civilians daily around the sites. Human Rights Watch has called them a "death trap", while the UN and other groups have lashed out at what they call a militarization of aid. - 'Stalingrad' - According to Michael Milshtein, who heads the Palestinian Studies Program at Tel Aviv University, Hamas's military wing could have as many as 10,000 to 15,000 fighters in Gaza City, many of them freshly recruited. "It's very easy to convince a 17, 18, 19-year-old Palestinian to be a part of Al-Qassam Brigades," Milshtein told AFP, referring to Hamas's armed wing as he cited a lack of opportunities for much Gaza's population. "While (Israel's army) prepares itself, Hamas also prepares itself for the coming warfare, if it takes place," he added, predicting that the battle could end up being "very similar to Stalingrad." He was referring to the battle for the city now known as Volgograd, one of the longest and bloodiest in World War II. The Israeli army will encounter obstacles including a vast network of tunnels where Israeli hostages are likely being held, along with weapons depots, hiding places and combat posts. Other obstacles could include improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the use of civilians as human shields in a dense urban maze of narrow alleys and tall buildings, according to press reports. "It's almost impossible to go in there without creating both hostage casualties and a large humanitarian disaster," said Mairav Zonszein of the International Crisis Group. The material destruction, she added, will be enormous. "They will simply destroy everything, and then nothing will be left," she said. Despite rumored disagreements over the plan by the chief of the army Eyal Zamir, the general said his forces "will be able to conquer Gaza City, just as it did in Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south," according to a statement on Monday. "Our forces have operated there in the past, and we will know how to do it again."
Straits Times
12-08-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
‘Nothing will be left': Israel prepares for Gaza City battle
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Israeli armoured vehicles are seen near the Gaza border in southern Israel on Aug 12, 2025. JERUSALEM – In a dense urban landscape, with likely thousands of Hamas fighters lying in wait, taking Gaza City will be a difficult and costly slog for the Israeli army, security experts say. On Aug 10, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out his vision of victory in Gaza following 22 months of war, with the military ordered to attack the last remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps further south. With a pre-war population of some 760,000, according to official figures, Gaza City was the biggest of any municipal area in the Palestinian territories. But following the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 that sparked the war, its population has only swelled, with thousands of displaced people fleeing intensive military operations to the north. Gaza City itself has come under intense aerial bombardment, and its remaining apartment buildings now rub shoulders with tents and other makeshift shelters. Mr Amir Avivi, a former Israeli general and head of the Israeli Defence and Security Forum think tank, described the city as the 'heart of Hamas' rule in Gaza'. 'Gaza City has always been the centre of government and also has the strongest brigade of Hamas,' he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore NEL resumes service after hours-long power fault; single-track service on Sengkang-Punggol LRT Singapore Plan to base Singapore's F-15 fighter jets in Guam cancelled Singapore Hyflux investigator 'took advantage' of Olivia Lum's inability to recall events: Davinder Singh Singapore Man who stabbed son-in-law to death in Boon Tat Street in 2017 dies, aged 80 Singapore Scoot to launch flights to Chiang Rai, Okinawa, Tokyo-Haneda, boost frequency to other places Singapore Man on trial for stalking woman blasted by judge for asking scandalous questions in court Singapore Off-duty SCDF officer dies after accident in Punggol; 15-year-old pillion rider taken to hospital The first challenge for Israeli troops relates to Mr Netanyahu's call for the evacuation of civilians. How such a feat will be carried out remains unclear. Unlike the rest of the Gaza Strip, where most of the population has been displaced at least once, around 300,000 residents of Gaza City have not moved since the outbreak of the conflict, according to Mr Avivi. Israel has already tried to push civilians further south to so-called humanitarian zones established by the military, but there is likely little space to accommodate more arrivals. 'You cannot put another one million people over there. It will be a horrible humanitarian crisis,' said Mr Michael Milshtein, an Israeli former military intelligence officer. According to Mr Avivi, humanitarian aid would be mainly distributed south of Gaza City in order to encourage residents to move toward future distribution sites managed by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Up from just four currently, the GHF plans to operate 16 sites. However, Gaza's civil defence agency says Israeli troops are firing at and killing civilians daily around the sites. Human Rights Watch has called them a 'death trap', while the UN and other groups have lashed out at what they call a militarisation of aid. 'Stalingrad' According to Mr Michael Milshtein, who heads the Palestinian Studies Programme at Tel Aviv University, Hamas' military wing could have as many as 10,000 to 15,000 fighters in Gaza City, many of them freshly recruited. 'It's very easy to convince a 17-, 18-, 19-year-old Palestinian to be a part of Al-Qassam Brigades,' Mr Milshtein said, referring to Hamas' armed wing, as he cited a lack of opportunities for much of Gaza's population. 'While (Israel's army) prepares itself, Hamas also prepares itself for the coming warfare, if it takes place,' he added, predicting that the battle could end up being 'very similar to Stalingrad'. He was referring to the battle for the city now known as Volgograd, one of the longest and bloodiest in World War II. The Israeli army will encounter obstacles, including a vast network of tunnels where Israeli hostages are likely being held, along with weapons depots, hiding places and combat posts. Other obstacles could include improvised explosive devices and the use of civilians as human shields in a dense urban maze of narrow alleys and tall buildings, according to press reports. 'It's almost impossible to go in there without creating both hostage casualties and a large humanitarian disaster,' said Ms Mairav Zonszein, of the International Crisis Group. The material destruction, she added, will be enormous. 'They will simply destroy everything, and then nothing will be left,' she said. Despite rumoured disagreements over the plan, the chief of the army, Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir , said his forces 'will be able to conquer Gaza City, just as it did in Khan Younis and Rafah in the south'. 'Our forces have operated there in the past, and we will know how to do it again,' he said. AFP
RTÉ News
12-08-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
'Nothing will be left': Israel prepares for Gaza City battle
In a dense urban landscape, with likely thousands of Hamas fighters lying in wait, taking Gaza City will be a difficult and costly slog for the Israeli army, security experts say. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out his vision of victory in Gaza following 22-months of war - with the military ordered to attack the last remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps further south. With a pre-war population of some 760,000, according to official figures, Gaza City was the biggest of any municipal area in the Palestinian territories. But following the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 that sparked the war, its population has only swelled, with thousands of displaced people fleeing intensive military operations to the north. Gaza City itself has come under intense aerial bombardment, and its remaining apartment buildings now rub shoulders with tents and other makeshift shelters. 'Death trap' Amir Avivi, a former Israeli general and head of the Israeli Defence and Security Forum think tank, described the city as the "heart of Hamas's rule in Gaza". "Gaza City has always been the centre of government and also has the strongest brigade of Hamas," he said. The first challenge for Israeli troops relates to Mr Netanyahu's call for the evacuation of civilians - how such a feat will be carried out remains unclear. Unlike the rest of the Strip, where most of the population has been displaced at least once, around 300,000 residents of Gaza City have not moved since the outbreak of the conflict, according to Mr Avivi. Israel has already tried to push civilians further south to so-called humanitarian zones established by the military, but there is likely little space to accommodate more arrivals. "You cannot put another one million people over there. It will be a horrible humanitarian crisis," said Michael Milshtein, an Israeli former military intelligence officer. According to Mr Avivi, humanitarian aid would be mainly distributed south of Gaza City in order to encourage residents to move toward future distribution sites managed by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Up from just four currently, the GHF plans to operate 16 sites. However, Gaza's civil defence agency says Israeli troops are firing at and killing civilians daily around the sites. Human Rights Watch has called them a "death trap", while the UN and other groups have lashed out at what they call a militarisation of aid. According to Mr Milshtein, who heads the Palestinian Studies Programme at Tel Aviv University, Hamas's military wing could have as many as 10,000 to 15,000 fighters in Gaza City, many of them freshly recruited. "It's very easy to convince a 17, 18, 19-year-old Palestinian to be a part of Al-Qassam Brigades," Mr Milshtein told AFP, referring to Hamas's armed wing as he cited a lack of opportunities for much of Gaza's population. "While (Israel's army) prepares itself, Hamas also prepares itself for the coming warfare, if it takes place," he added, predicting that the battle could end up being "very similar to Stalingrad." He was referring to the battle for the city now known as Volgograd, one of the longest and bloodiest in World War II. The Israeli army will encounter obstacles including a vast network of tunnels where Israeli hostages are likely being held, along with weapons depots, hiding places and combat posts. Other obstacles could include improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the use of civilians as human shields in a dense urban maze of narrow alleys and tall buildings, according to press reports. "It's almost impossible to go in there without creating both hostage casualties and a large humanitarian disaster," said Mairav Zonszein of the International Crisis Group. The material destruction, she added, will be enormous. "They will simply destroy everything, and then nothing will be left," she said. Despite rumoured disagreements over the plan by the chief of the army Eyal Zamir, the general said his forces "will be able to conquer Gaza City, just as it did in Khan Yunis and Rafah in the south," according to a statement.
NDTV
20-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Is Israel's Iron Dome Failing Against Iran? What Ex General Told NDTV
New Delhi: Over the last eight days, Israel's much-acclaimed air defence system, the Iron Dome, has been tested like never before against multiple waves of Israeli missiles. As the conflict stretches into its eighth day, questions mount over its performance and whether it can withstand a long conflict. On Thursday, Iran confirmed a new wave of combined missile and drone attacks on military sites in Haifa and Tel Aviv, escalating tensions and prompting fears that Israel's air defences may be cracking under pressure, reported Al Jazeera. On June 19, the strikes, which reportedly hit four locations - including Soroka Hospital in southern Israel - triggered a counterattack. Airstrikes were aimed at what are believed to be Iranian-linked nuclear facilities in Iraq. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was not ruling out a strike on Ayatollah Khamenei, while Defence Minister Israel Katz directly blamed the Iranian Supreme Leader for the attack on the hospital. As footage surfaces showing some missiles slipping past Israeli air defences, speculation has intensified — is the Iron Dome beginning to falter? Speaking to NDTV, retired Brigadier General Amir Avivi, chairman of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF), insisted that while the system was under strain, it remained largely intact. He said it wasn't just the Iron Dome at work. 'Ballistic missiles — especially those fired from long range — are intercepted mostly by Arrow 3,' he said, referring to Israel's space-based missile defence system, which he claimed has 'more than 90% success.' Still, he cautioned that no system is flawless. 'It's hard to reach 100%,' he said, adding that when a missile does break through, Israel's layered defence kicks in. He also advised civilians to use bunkers in such instances. On whether the Iron Dome was still dependable or if Israel must prepare for a post-Iron Dome future, Avivi maintained that the system, along with the broader air defence network, was reliable. He said the situation was not just about a single system but about a multi-layered strategy to counter a range of threats. Watch #NewsNight with @DeeptiSachdeva_ | Last Few Hours For Khamenei's Regime? US Attack Imminent? Chairman of IDSF (Retd) Amir Avivi speaks to NDTV's Deepti Sachdeva, shares his insights on the ongoing Iran-Israel tensions #NDTVExclusive — NDTV (@ndtv) June 19, 2025 'Israel is managing to systematically destroy the ballistic capabilities of Iran,' he said, pointing out that Iran aimed to launch hundreds of ballistic missiles but failed to maintain that momentum. According to him, Israeli strikes have destroyed more than 40% of Iran's launchers, significantly damaging Tehran's ability to sustain attacks. As Israel's defence systems are being tested by Iranian missile attacks, Avivi seems to suggest that the Iron Dome, though under pressure, can hold the line — at least for now. On Thursday, the White House said that President Donald Trump will make a decision on whether or not the US should get directly involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two days. The negotiations or talks weren't off-table, it added.
