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Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Netanyahu says airstrikes on Gaza will continue until operation goals achieved

The prime minister made the statement after his phone call with US President Joe Biden earlier on Wednesday when the US leader spoke in favor of de-escalation of tensions between Israel and Palestine

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sergei Bobylev/TASS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

MOSCOW, May 19. /TASS/. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to continue carrying out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip until the military operation conducted by Israel is successfully completed, the prime minister’s office said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Read also

Hamas denies reports of its readiness for ceasefire with Israel

"I intend to continue this operation until its goal is achieved, until calm and safety are ensured for you, Israeli citizens," Netanyahu stressed.

The prime minister made this statement after his phone call with US President Joe Biden earlier on Wednesday when the US leader spoke in favor of de-escalation of tensions between Israel and Palestine. The White House said in a statemen following the conversation, "The President conveyed to the Prime Minister that he expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire."

However, Bloomberg points out that Netanyahu did not use words like ceasefire or de-escalation in his announcement. He underlined that airstrikes "eliminate opportunities of terrorist organizations."

The exchange of missile strikes between Israel and Palestinian radicals from the Gaza Strip began on May 10 following an outbreak of violence near the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City in early May. Clashes between the Palestinians and the Israeli police were triggered by an Israeli court ruling to seize dwelling houses in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood from Arab families who have been living there for more than 50 years in favor of Jewish resettlers who had reportedly owned these buildings before 1948. During this time, the radicals have fired more than 3,500 missiles at Israel, in response, Israel’s armed forces have bombed hundreds of targets in the enclave. According to the latest data, the Palestinian Health Ministry reports that the number of fatalities climbed to 241 including 219 of them in the Gaza Strip, including 60 children and 36 women, while at least 12 Israelis were killed.

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Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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