Hamas: ‘Gideon 2’ operation will fail like its predecessors

Hamas issued a strongly worded statement today against the launch of what it called the “Gideon 2” operation, which the Israeli army intends to carry out to occupy Gaza City.

The movement said the operation “will fail like its predecessors and will not achieve its goals”, adding that it is “a continuation of the war of extermination” against the population.

Hamas accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “blocking agreements and showing no concern for the return of captives”. It called on mediators to “exert maximum pressure on Israel to stop its policy of starvation and destruction”.

The statement added: “Netanyahu’s disregard for the mediators’ proposal and his failure to respond to it proves that he is the real obstacle to any agreement and that he does not care about the lives of his prisoners. 

“The announcement of what the occupation calls the ‘Gideon 2’ operation represents further insistence on continuing the war of extermination,” Hamas emphasised.

The movement also said: “While we announced our approval of the latest proposal presented by the mediators, the Zionist terror government insists on pursuing its brutal war against innocent civilians, escalating its criminal operations in Gaza City to destroy it and displace its residents, in what amounts to a full-scale war crime.”

READ: Hamas unveils key truce terms in mediators’ latest Gaza proposal