Editor’s Note: For the latest news on the Israel-Hamas conflict, please see our live updates file here.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a cease-fire Monday as the Israeli military expanded its incursion into the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
At a rare press conference in which he took only a handful of questions, Netanyahu called Hamas part of an “axis of evil’’ and said the stunning assault the militant group launched on Israeli soil Oct. 7 was “the worst savagery our people have seen since the Holocaust.’’
Netanyahu said the ground incursion Israel recently began would create pressure on Hamas to free hostages without explaining how. And he pushed back against requests from the United Nations and humanitarian organizations for a cease-fire, pointing out the U.S. did not agree to cease-fires after the Pearl Harbor and 9/11 attacks.
“Calls for a cease-fire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism,’’ Netanyahu said. “That will not happen.’’
He also asked other countries to join Israel’s fight against “the enemies of civilization.”
“This is a time for war, a war for our common future,’’ Netanyahu said. “Today we draw a line between the forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism.’’
Asked about the huge death toll inflicted on Palestinians by Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes – the fatality count has surpassed 8,300, including 3,200 children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry – Netanyahu said “not a single civilian’’ would die if they went to the safe zones in southern Gaza. However, that’s not possible for all the Gaza Strip residents, and Israeli forces have also bombarded the territory’s southern end.
Netanyahu, who is facing growing criticism over his government’s failure to prevent the Hamas attack and his refusal to take responsibility, also said he does not intend to resign.
Hundreds in Russia try to storm plane:News reports said protesters shouted antisemitic slogans
Developments:
∎ The Israeli military announced Monday the rescue of a female soldier from Hamas captivity in what Netanyahu called a “successful action” by the Shabak security agency and the Israel Defense Forces. The soldier was identified as Pvt. Ori Megidish, 19.
∎ The relief organization CARE reports that some patients at overcrowded Gaza hospitals are having surgery without anesthesia, including pregnant women who require C-sections, and that some women are being released as soon as three hours after giving birth.
∎ The U.N. warned that Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza were hitting close to hospitals where more than 100,000 displaced people are staying amid thousands of patients and staff. Dr. Sobhi Skeik, director of the Turkish Palestinian Hospital south of Gaza City, said an airstrike Monday damaged two rooms and the hospital’s oxygen system and water supply.
∎ The number of Israelis who have evacuated homes and communities near the Gaza border has surpassed 250,000, Israeli officials said.
∎ A combined total of nearly 60 trucks with humanitarian aid came into Gaza from Egypt on Sunday and Monday, an increase from previous convoys but still far less than what relief workers say is needed.
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Russia blames outside interference for riot targeting flight from Israel
Russian officials on Monday blamed Ukraine and the West for the riotous upheaval at Russia’s airport in the predominantly Muslim region of Dagestan when a flight from Israel was landing Sunday. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Kyiv called for the riots on social media, rallying “egregious Russophobes” in the Dagestan region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russian authorities, tweeting that antisemitic sentiment is common in Russia and emanates from its leaders. Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, told The Times of Israel that Russian security forces sent to the airport “were sitting aside and smoking cigarettes. They did nothing.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin called a meeting Monday of top security and law enforcement officials. More than 20 people were injured in the riot, which prompted Israel to advise its citizens to leave the northern Caucasus district.
The plane from Tel Aviv was greeted by hundreds of angry demonstrators storming onto the landing field. The crowd waved Palestinian flags and held banners saying “Child killers are not welcome in Dagestan” and “We’re against Jewish refugees.”
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Read More: Netanyahu won’t agree to cease-fire