Hamas: Netanyahu has failed in his war on Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to achieve the objectives of his war on the Gaza Strip, the Anadolu news agency reported a Hamas official as saying today.

Sami Abu Zuhri, the movement’s spokesman, said in a statement: “Netanyahu has utterly failed in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is still in power and has a lot to do against Israel,” without giving further details.

Also today, Netanyahu said in a press statement today the Israeli army has done its utmost in the war on the Gaza Strip; however he noted that “there is no 100 per cent guarantee for the success of the battle”.

Netanyahu described battles that took place in the Gaza Strip as “complex”.

The Israeli army announced this morning the withdrawal of its ground forces to “lines of defence” outside the Gaza Strip, after the Palestinian factions and Israel agreed to a72-hour truce under Egyptian auspices.

The war waged by Israel on Gaza Strip has led to the killing of 1,867 Palestinians and wounded 9,470 others, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported.

Israel claims 64 soldiers and three civilians were killed during the war and 1,008 more were wounded, including 651 soldiers and 357 civilians. The Izz Ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, claims it had killed 161 soldiers and captured another.