Multiple signals were sent out on Wednesday evening during a joint press conference by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, amid serious mediation efforts being conducted by Egypt regarding Gaza - Tel Aviv. Despite information from the Israeli government indicating that a ceasefire would occur within hours, Netanyahu dismissed that possibility, escalating the rhetoric: "The battle is not over yet, and we are ready to continue."
Netanyahu spoke at the conclusion of a security meeting about "precise and painful goals that have broken the back of the Islamic Jihad movement." While the apparent aim was to carry out assassinations of resistance factions and test the effectiveness of the "David's Sling" on other fronts, the implicit messages conveyed by Netanyahu were as follows: "Assassinations may shift to multiple locations," hinting at Lebanon specifically, especially since Israeli authorities have reduced the necessity for shelters for residents in the Gaza border area, while requesting residents of settlements adjacent to the Lebanese border to open their shelters.
In another indication, both Netanyahu and Gallant confirmed that the Israeli military establishment is cohesive, asserting that the operations being carried out are through "complete harmony between the Shin Bet, intelligence, and the army, and there is no truth to the claims of these institutions being weakened."
Gallant concluded: "We carried out a precise and successful attack, and as a result of our offensive work, we hit hundreds of rocket platforms, but we have injuries." Meanwhile, Netanyahu ended on an escalated note, indicating the failure of the Egyptian mediation: "We delivered painful strikes to the Islamic Jihad in Gaza within moments. We will replicate the assassinations in other locations. The battle is not over yet, and we are ready to continue."
