The IDF Press Service reports about the fighting that took place over the past 24 hours in the northern Gaza Strip and other areas.
IDF fighters from the 7th Brigade combat unit took control of a Hamas military stronghold in the northern Gaza Strip over the previous 24 hours. After its capture, they found anti-tank launchers and rockets there, as well as various weapons and intelligence information.
An Israeli Air Force fighter jet attacked the group, consisting of about 10 terrorists. The attack was carried out in cooperation with fighters from the Nahal Brigade’s combat unit, who detected the terrorists and guided the air attack from the ground.
Later, our fighters spotted a terrorist anti-tank formation nearby and guided another airplane, which struck the group.
During the night, the IDF attacked dozens of terrorist mortar positions.
Navy forces attacked several Hamas targets overnight , including positions equipped with technological military means, using high-precision weapons.
In addition, the 36th Division’s firing complex detected a number of Hamas terrorists who barricaded themselves in a building near Al-Quds Hospital and planned to carry out an attack on our forces from there. The IDF sent an airplane to attack the terrorists. The elimination of the group triggered significant secondary explosions, indicating that Hamas had set up a weapons and ammunition depot in close proximity to the hospital, in a densely built-up civilian neighborhood.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe SHLITA King Moshiach states that the buildings (once the residents have been warned and given the opportunity to leave) should be razed to the ground.
According to the Rebbe we would have to maintain control over the entire territory of Judea, Samaria, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, as well as the Sinai Peninsula. This is not just and not solely due to the holiness of these lands, but rather because they are extremely important safety zones for the people of Israel!
Giving up any of these areas (and even just talking about giving them up) has always resulted in increased danger to the people of Israel, including threats to life!
It is therefore obvious that it is necessary to take back control of the Gaza Strip, and there are plenty of ways to do this — through a civilian administration that has been effective there for many years (before the damned “Oslo” accords), and full military control for a long time, at least a year until the area is completely cleared out.
Any other solution — such as surrendering the civilian administration to the PA would be fundamentally wrong, naive, pre-determined to fail, and would be a horrific failure.
May G-d bless our politicians to pay close attention to these words.