Israeli army shelling Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza Strip Pre-declaring 2024 "the year of military operations"

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is shelling the Maghazi refugee camp in the central part of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli air force is also dropping flare bombs on Maghazi, where clashes are taking place between the IDF and local resistance forces, according to the Lebanese TV channel Al Mayadeen.

The situation in the Middle East escalated sharply after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip infiltrated Israeli territory on October 7 last year, killing residents of border communities and taking more than 240 hostages, including children, women and the elderly.

Radicals called the attack a response to the Israeli authorities' actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel announced a complete blockade of Gaza and began retaliatory strikes on the Strip and parts of Lebanon and Syria before announcing the start of a ground operation in the enclave. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.

Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for Israel to try harder to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.

"In its actions, Israel should do more to protect civilians, because it is impossible to achieve peace if there is no prospect of a decent life if after the war the Gaza Strip will be uninhabitable," she said.

The Gaza Strip cannot be occupied, she said, nor can the population be expelled from there, nor can any territory be taken away from the enclave. Nevertheless, the Gaza Strip should no longer pose a threat to Israel, she added.

Further, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the complete destruction of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas and the de-radicalization of the Gaza Strip is the only possible and proportionate Israeli response to the October 7 attack.

He is confident that after the completion of the Israeli military operation in the enclave, the process of its restoration will begin, which will open up prospects for a broad peaceful settlement in the Middle East.

According to Netanyahu, "Hamas is a key satellite of Iran and must be destroyed." "The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and many other countries support Israel's intention to destroy this terrorist group. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to eliminate the military potential of Hamas, put an end to its political rule in Gaza and release the hostages. Hamas leaders have promised to repeat the October 7 massacre over and over again, which is why their destruction is the only proportionate response aimed at preventing such terrible atrocities. Anything less guarantees more war and more bloodshed and contradicts the clear objectives set by the Israeli military cabinet," the prime minister believes.

Israel, pursuing the goal of destroying Hamas in the Gaza Strip, "will continue to act in full accordance with international law," Netanyahu assures.  

"This is especially difficult because an integral part of Hamas's strategy is to use Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages as human shields," he added, assuring that the Israeli military is making every effort to prevent civilian casualties, including "dropping leaflets, sending text messages and using other means to warn residents." Gases about the need to take shelter from danger."

According to the head of government, "unfair accusations of these victims against Israel will only encourage Hamas and other terrorist organizations around the world to use human shields." "To make this cruel and cynical strategy ineffective, the international community must place the blame for these victims squarely on Hamas. It must recognize that Israel is waging a larger-scale battle of the civilized world against barbarism," Netanyahu added.

At the same time, Lebanon's Hezbollah group leader Hassan Nasrallah stated that the group has conducted more than 670 different combat operations against the Israeli military since October 7 last year.

He said the group repeatedly shelled 48 Israeli army positions near Lebanon, as well as - targets in 17 localities.

Nasrallah said that Hezbollah has intelligence about the Israeli army, which allows it to strike military targets, particularly armoured vehicles and weapons depots.

According to the head of Hezbollah, about 2,000 Israeli soldiers have been wounded near Lebanon since October 7. Nasrallah also said the Israeli command underestimates its losses.

Moreover, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari told a briefing that the year 2024 will be a "year of military operations" for Israel.

"The year 2024 will be a year of hostilities, and there are lessons that have been learned now that will allow us to fight better on all fronts," he said