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| Israel’s Operation in Gaza to Last as Long as Necessary, Netanyahu Says | Israel’s Operation in Gaza to Last as Long as Necessary, Netanyahu Says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| JERUSALEM — Israel will continue its military campaign in the Gaza Strip as long as necessary to stop Hamas attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday evening. But he added that once the army’s operations to destroy tunnels into Israel are completed, Israel will decide how to redeploy its forces, suggesting a de-escalation of the ground war in Gaza. | |
| “From the beginning, we promised to return the quiet to Israel’s citizens and we will continue to act until that aim is achieved,” Mr. Netanyahu said in a nationally televised statement, with his defense minister beside him. “We will take as much time as necessary, and will exert as much force as needed.” | |
| Israel was not ending its operation unilaterally, he said, adding: “We will deploy in the places most convenient to us.” | Israel was not ending its operation unilaterally, he said, adding: “We will deploy in the places most convenient to us.” |
| Mr. Netanyahu praised the United States for supporting Israel, and asked for international help to rebuild Gaza and secure its “demilitarization.” | |
| Earlier Saturday, the armed wing of Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian faction that dominates the coastal strip, said that it was not holding an Israeli officer who has been missing since a deadly clash Friday that shattered a planned 72-hour cease-fire. | Earlier Saturday, the armed wing of Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian faction that dominates the coastal strip, said that it was not holding an Israeli officer who has been missing since a deadly clash Friday that shattered a planned 72-hour cease-fire. |
| The Qassam Brigades, which have led the 26-day-old battle with Israel, suggested in a statement that the officer might have been killed along with his captors in an Israeli assault that followed an attack by Palestinian militants, who emerged from a tunnel that Israeli troops were trying to destroy near the southern border town of Rafah. Two Israelis were killed in the attack, bringing the military’s total casualty count to 63. | The Qassam Brigades, which have led the 26-day-old battle with Israel, suggested in a statement that the officer might have been killed along with his captors in an Israeli assault that followed an attack by Palestinian militants, who emerged from a tunnel that Israeli troops were trying to destroy near the southern border town of Rafah. Two Israelis were killed in the attack, bringing the military’s total casualty count to 63. |
| “Until now, we have no idea about the disappearance of the Israeli soldier,” the statement read. “We do not know his whereabouts or the conditions of his disappearance.” Saying the leadership had lost touch with its “troops deployed in the ambush,” the statement added, “Our account is that the soldier could have been kidnapped and killed together with our fighters.” | “Until now, we have no idea about the disappearance of the Israeli soldier,” the statement read. “We do not know his whereabouts or the conditions of his disappearance.” Saying the leadership had lost touch with its “troops deployed in the ambush,” the statement added, “Our account is that the soldier could have been kidnapped and killed together with our fighters.” |
| The statement repeated earlier assertions by Hamas leaders that the clash on Friday had occurred at 7 a.m., an hour before the onset of the cease-fire secured by the United Nations and Secretary of State John Kerry. The Israeli military said the attack occurred at 9:20 a.m., and Mr. Kerry, President Obama and the United Nations appeared to accept that account, with statements Friday that clearly blamed Hamas for the cease-fire’s breakdown and demanded that the group immediately and unconditionally release the captive. | The statement repeated earlier assertions by Hamas leaders that the clash on Friday had occurred at 7 a.m., an hour before the onset of the cease-fire secured by the United Nations and Secretary of State John Kerry. The Israeli military said the attack occurred at 9:20 a.m., and Mr. Kerry, President Obama and the United Nations appeared to accept that account, with statements Friday that clearly blamed Hamas for the cease-fire’s breakdown and demanded that the group immediately and unconditionally release the captive. |
| Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said Saturday morning that the search for the officer, Second Lt. Hadar Goldin, had not progressed, but that Israeli forces “have increased our activities.” | |
| A military statement said Israeli forces had struck more than 200 targets across Gaza in the 24 hours since the Rafah confrontation, including what it described as a research and development lab for weapons manufacturing at the Islamic University. Five mosques that the military said concealed weapons or Hamas outposts were also hit, according to the statement, along with a launcher used to fire rockets toward Tel Aviv around 6 a.m. Saturday. Around noon, a barrage of rockets flew into southern Israel. | |
| The Gaza-based Health Ministry, which had reported 70 people killed in Rafah on Friday, said the casualties had continued there overnight, including seven members of one family who died when their home was bombed. More than 1,650 Palestinians have now been killed in the operation, the ministry said. | |
| Rafah’s main hospital was evacuated overnight amid the violence, leaving injured people scrambling to find treatment at small clinics on the other side of the city, according to Gaza-based journalists. | Rafah’s main hospital was evacuated overnight amid the violence, leaving injured people scrambling to find treatment at small clinics on the other side of the city, according to Gaza-based journalists. |
| There was no electricity in the area, and Israeli news outlets reported that troops had sealed all the roads out of Rafah to the north. Israeli tanks were seen along the Philadelphi route, which runs along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt and has long been riddled with smuggling tunnels, though Egypt has shut many of them down over the past year. Firefights and heavy airstrikes were reported in the area. | |
| Palestinian officials said Saturday that they still planned to send a delegation to Cairo for talks that could start on Sunday. | Palestinian officials said Saturday that they still planned to send a delegation to Cairo for talks that could start on Sunday. |
| Before Friday’s attack, the 12-member team was to be led by Azzam al-Ahmed of the Palestinian Fatah faction — who is aligned with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, and who helped negotiate an April reconciliation pact between Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization — and was to include five Hamas members and two from Islamic Jihad, another Gaza-based militant group. But it was unclear on Saturday whether the Egyptians would allow in anyone based in Gaza. | Before Friday’s attack, the 12-member team was to be led by Azzam al-Ahmed of the Palestinian Fatah faction — who is aligned with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, and who helped negotiate an April reconciliation pact between Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization — and was to include five Hamas members and two from Islamic Jihad, another Gaza-based militant group. But it was unclear on Saturday whether the Egyptians would allow in anyone based in Gaza. |
| The Israeli military on Saturday informed residents of the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, which had been under heavy bombardment, that they could safely return to their homes. Some analysts said this indicated that Israel was planning a unilateral withdrawal of its ground troops, but Mr. Netanyahu made clear Saturday that Israel would continue to target tunnels and would consider redeploying its forces in Gaza only when the military decided that the operation was complete. | |
| “After completing the anti-tunnel operation, the I.D.F. will act and continue to act, in accordance with our security needs and only according to our defense needs,” Mr. Netanyahu said in his televised speech, referring to the Israel Defense Forces. | |
| An Israeli government official sent a statement to journalists on Saturday morning demanding “a strong and swift response” by the international community to the apparent capture of Lieutenant Goldin, including “practical steps” to return him. | An Israeli government official sent a statement to journalists on Saturday morning demanding “a strong and swift response” by the international community to the apparent capture of Lieutenant Goldin, including “practical steps” to return him. |
| “Israel received a clear-cut assurance that Hamas has accepted a cease-fire for 72 hours without preconditions,” said the statement, also citing the involvement of Qatar, which has been a financial patron of Hamas and represented it in the diplomatic discussions. “Hamas and Qatar defied the U.S. and the U.N. by breaching a clear-cut commitment that was given to them.” | “Israel received a clear-cut assurance that Hamas has accepted a cease-fire for 72 hours without preconditions,” said the statement, also citing the involvement of Qatar, which has been a financial patron of Hamas and represented it in the diplomatic discussions. “Hamas and Qatar defied the U.S. and the U.N. by breaching a clear-cut commitment that was given to them.” |
| The Associated Press reported that Mr. Netanyahu had expressed frustration with Washington’s diplomatic efforts in a Friday phone call to Dan Shapiro, the United States ambassador to Israel. Mr. Netanyahu told Mr. Shapiro he expected the Obama administration to back Israel’s Gaza offensive and “not to ever second-guess me again” regarding Hamas, The A.P. said, citing people familiar with the conversation. | |
| Asked about the report, Mr. Shapiro declined to comment. | Asked about the report, Mr. Shapiro declined to comment. |
| The Qassam Brigades’ latest statement underscored the ongoing challenge of matching international diplomacy to the asymmetrical combat on the ground. | The Qassam Brigades’ latest statement underscored the ongoing challenge of matching international diplomacy to the asymmetrical combat on the ground. |
| Mr. Kerry had said that during the planned cease-fire, Israel could continue operations to destroy tunnels into its territory — the stated goal of the ground campaign that it began on July 17. Hamas had rejected an earlier pause in the fighting because of this condition demanded by Israel. Many in Gaza found the condition fundamentally unfair, viewing it as essentially saying that one side could continue its operation and the other could not. | Mr. Kerry had said that during the planned cease-fire, Israel could continue operations to destroy tunnels into its territory — the stated goal of the ground campaign that it began on July 17. Hamas had rejected an earlier pause in the fighting because of this condition demanded by Israel. Many in Gaza found the condition fundamentally unfair, viewing it as essentially saying that one side could continue its operation and the other could not. |
| Qassam said it had agreed only to stop firing rockets on “Zionist towns and cities” for the 72-hour pause. | Qassam said it had agreed only to stop firing rockets on “Zionist towns and cities” for the 72-hour pause. |
| “On the operational level,” it said in its statement, “we can’t cease firing against the troops advancing into Gaza, which work and move all the time so they could collide with our ambushes. This will definitely lead to clashes.” | “On the operational level,” it said in its statement, “we can’t cease firing against the troops advancing into Gaza, which work and move all the time so they could collide with our ambushes. This will definitely lead to clashes.” |