Speaking to Russia 24 on October 20, Alexander Ben Zvi said that "the decision has been made" and " the possibility of a ground operation cannot be ruled out."
He noted that Israel has declared a state of war, with “all types of operations, including air, sea and land operations.” The Israeli ambassador to Moscow believes that the possibility of a ground attack is “higher than 50 percent.”
Israeli Ambassador to Moscow - Alexander Ben Zvi.
Israel is seeking to “destroy all structures” of Hamas in Gaza, he added, and also wants to free hostages held by the group, and “cannot do that without a ground operation.”
His comments came just a day after Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat told ABC News that the government had given the military the green light to begin the assault: “We will do our utmost to bring our hostages back alive.”
Mr. Nir Barkat stressed that destroying Hamas is the “ top and final priority”, “even if it takes a year”.
The current escalation follows Hamas' surprise attack on Israel on October 7. The initial attack and subsequent clashes between Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) left some 1,400 Israelis dead, mostly civilians.
Israel responded with a massive bombing campaign against Gaza, killing nearly 3,500 people as of October 19, according to health authorities in Gaza.
Since the initial escalation, Israel has warned that it would launch a ground operation in Gaza. Last week, the IDF said it was ready to “expand the offensive,” including through a “large-scale ground operation.” However, IDF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht told reporters that the military could take other action.
These have sparked widespread concern. The African Union and the Arab League have both called on Israel to end the fighting. Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah have made similar calls, warning of a potential regional catastrophe.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said a ground operation would be difficult and “have serious consequences for all sides”, with civilian casualties likely to be “completely unacceptable”.
Hamas releases American hostage
According to Hamas spokesman Abu Obaida, the group released two American hostages to prove the claims of the administration of US President Joe Biden wrong: " In response to Qatar's efforts, the Al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens on humanitarian grounds."
It was not clear which statement Mr. Biden was referring to. Hamas spokesmen had previously referred to the US president’s statement comparing the group to the Islamic State.
Obaida added that the two Americans released were a mother and daughter. As of the evening of October 20, neither the US nor Israeli authorities had confirmed the release of the two hostages, although the Red Cross told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that it had received the two. Israeli media identified them as Judith and Natalie Raanan.
Hamas added that it was holding about 200 hostages in Gaza, while another 50 were being held by other groups, 20 of whom had been killed in airstrikes.
Earlier this week, senior Hamas official Khaled Mashaal suggested that captured Israelis could be exchanged for Palestinians in Israeli jails, while foreign hostages would be released “when circumstances permit.”
More than 20 Americans have been reported missing since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel nearly two weeks ago, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on October 17. Republican Senator Jim Risch said this week that 10 of them are being held in Gaza.
“We will do everything in our power to bring them home if we can find them,” Biden told CBS News earlier this week.
Phuong Anh (Source: RT)
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