Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed today, Thursday, that Israel has no interest in a war with any adversary other than Hamas, and that its ground operation in Gaza will come at the appropriate time. He added to reporters in response to a question about the possibility of a confrontation with Iran, "We are fighting a war on the southern front against Hamas and are prepared for any developments in the north; Hezbollah is suffering significant losses. However, it is not in our interest to expand the war."
He continued, "Hamas has initiated a war to deter our will to live in peace," noting that "there will be further phases that we will execute and we will prevail while we create the conditions for the continuation of the battle. Our goals are precise and we have conducted strikes against Hamas's infrastructure; we have transitioned within 24 hours to intensified attacks from air, sea, and land."
Gallant added, "The ground operation will come soon when the conditions are favorable; we have over 200 missing and kidnapped individuals, and we will do our utmost to bring them back. We are prepared for potential developments in the north and the air force is ready for that, and we will spare no effort to retrieve the captives." He did not comment on the possibility of releasing hostages through Qatari mediation but stated that "any possible channel is acceptable as long as it achieves the goal."
