'The Minute We End Ceasefire....': Envoy Naor Gilon On Israel's Strategy For Gaza War
The Israeli envoy expressed optimism that India will identify Hamas as a terrorist organisation, and stated that his government has already supplied New Delhi with all of the necessary material.
Except for the underground tunnels, Israeli security forces have entirely destroyed Hamas' infrastructure in northern Gaza, and the focus at the end of the current cease-fire will be on cleaning up the southern portion of the strip, Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon stated on Tuesday, news agency PTI reported. In an interview with a group of journalists, the ambassador called India's stance on the Gaza conflict "remarkable" from the start, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong condemnation of Hamas' unprecedented terror onslaught on Israeli cities on October 7.
#WATCH | Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, says, "...The Indian position from day one on the Gaza crisis is remarkable... PM Modi’s reaction came out, and he was very clear and adamant against terrorism... Since then, the Indian position has been very consistent..." pic.twitter.com/GuOq9pSMQU
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2023
Gilon described Israel's decision to delist Lashkar-e-Taiba as a "gesture" roughly 15 years after the Mumbai terror assault, claiming that both sides have been boosting anti-terror cooperation in recent years.
The Israeli envoy expressed optimism that India will identify Hamas as a terrorist organisation, and stated that his government has already supplied New Delhi with all of the necessary material against the group.
Days after Hamas launched an onslaught on Israeli towns on October 7, Israel urged India to identify the group as a terrorist organisation, as many other nations had done.
He stated: "Nearly 170 hostages are left. We are aiming for two things: One is to eliminate the capacity of Hamas. And the other is to release the hostages. We are working on both of them."
#WATCH | Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, says, "...Nearly 170 hostages are left... We are aiming for two things: One is to eliminate the capacity of Hamas... And the other is to release the hostages... We are working on both of them..." pic.twitter.com/2zea6rXxuk
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2023
When questioned if India has given any indication on whether it will heed to the Israeli request, Gilon stated: "We did whatever was expected from our side. Now it is for the Indian government to decide -- if, where, how, how fast."
When asked if the intelligence supplied to the Indian government on Hamas includes its probable actions in India, he stated that it is not geographically specific. "We gave general information about the activities of Hamas wherever they are; not specific to (India)," he was quoted by PTI in its report.
After weeks of conflict, Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day cease-fire beginning last Friday. The truce has been extended by two days.
Gilon estimated the number of Hamas militants at roughly 30,000, with many of them killed in Israeli operations.
He further stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is hell-bent on destroying Hamas.
He stated: "The minute we finish the ceasefire, we are going back to the mission. The ceasefire was to enable the release of hostages."
#WATCH | Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, says, "...The minute we finish the ceasefire, we are going back to the mission... The ceasefire was to enable the release of hostages..." pic.twitter.com/BcnKowfFJt
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2023
Except for the underground tunnels, Israel's defence forces have entirely destroyed Hamas' infrastructure in northern Gaza. After the present cease-fire, they will concentrate on cleaning up the southern portion of Gaza, according to Gilon.
According to a senior military officer at the embassy, the Israeli Defence Forces would take every measure to protect civilian safety while conducting operations in South Gaza.
He stated that a humanitarian corridor will be established. In response to a query, Gilon stated that about 1,500 terrorists were killed by Israeli troops on October 7 as a result of Hamas strikes on Israeli cities.
"We are not going to give up on our aim to ensure that Hamas cannot again carry out attacks on Israel," the ambassador was quoted by PTI in its report.
He stated that the Israeli leadership had directed its military forces to eliminate Hamas' capabilities while also ensuring the release of the captives, and that both objectives had been reached.
When asked about India's decision to abstain on a UN General Assembly resolution on the Israel-Hamas conflict and then support a few UN resolutions on the war, Gilon said India's stance on the Gaza issue has been "remarkable" from the start.
The ambassador emphasised Prime Minister Modi's strong condemnation of Hamas' attack on Israel and stated that New Delhi has always supported a two-state solution to the Palestine conflict.
Following the Israel-Hamas confrontation, India has urged all parties to avoid violence, de-escalate the situation, and provide the groundwork for an early restart of direct peace talks aimed at achieving a two-state solution to the Palestine issue.
Following Hamas terrorists' unprecedented and multi-pronged strikes on Israeli cities on October 7, Israel launched a large military onslaught in Gaza. In Israel, Hamas killed around 1,200 people and abducted almost 240 more.
According to Gaza's Hamas-run officials, the Israeli onslaught has killed about 14,000 civilians.
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