Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized on Wednesday, one day before the commencement of hearings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, that Israel has no intention of maintaining a permanent occupation of Gaza or displacing its civilian population. Netanyahu asserted that Israel's military actions in Gaza are targeted at Hamas militants, not the Palestinian population, and are conducted in full compliance with international law.
Netanyahu accused Hamas of using Palestinian civilians as human shields, stating that the Israeli army is making every effort to minimize civilian casualties. He clarified that the goal is to eliminate Hamas terrorists from Gaza and secure the release of hostages held by the group.
In response to the ongoing conflict, Netanyahu provided figures indicating that since Hamas initiated an attack on October 7, around 1,200 people in Israel, including 790 civilians, have been killed. Additionally, 253 people were taken hostage by Hamas, with 132 individuals still held in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Hamas-run Health Ministry reported a Palestinian death toll of 23,357, and approximately 1.9 million out of Gaza's 2.3 million population are displaced due to Israeli bombardments that have leveled entire neighborhoods.
(With Agency Inputs)
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