Israeli army will operate ‘anywhere in the Middle East': Spokesperson

By Muhammed Emin Canik

ISTANBUL (AA) - As Israel continues its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip, an Israeli army spokesperson on Sunday said it will operate “anywhere in the Middle East” to fulfill the country's security aims.

“We are always looking around us, in the entire Middle East,” the Times of Israel quoted Daniel Hagari as saying.

“The IDF will operate anywhere in the Middle East to fulfill Israel’s security aims. We are highly prepared in all arenas,” he added.

While Israeli air attacks on the besieged Palestinian enclave continue, frequent clashes are also reported on the Lebanon border.

Last weekend, Israeli forces launched a sustained military push against the Gaza Strip in response to a military offensive by Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel – a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening living conditions in an area that has endured a crippling siege since 2007, as well as ordering more than 1 million Gazans in the northern strip to evacuate to the southern strip.

At least 2,329 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air raids, while the number of Israelis killed in Hamas’s military operation stands at 1,300.