"Gaza will no longer be threat...": Israel asserts determination to eliminate threats in Gaza

Tel Aviv [Israel], October 17 : Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has addressed the ongoing Israel-Palestine war, reiterating Israel's commitment to self-defence and the elimination of threats posed by Hamas.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have been engaged in a multifaceted operation amid international calls for de-escalation.
Addressing a virtual press conference, Minister Cohen on Tuesday firmly declared that Gaza would no longer be a threat to Israel or anyone else. Israel's aim is to prevent Hamas from retaining power in Gaza or any other place. He condemned the horrifying acts of violence, including the torture of babies and the murder of innocent women.
"Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel or anyone else. We will not agree that the Hamas will have any power in Gaza or in any other place. No human can comprehend the barbarity of torturing babies murdering, pertinent women, and even taking out the baby before we are born...," he said.
Minister Cohen also asserted that Israel did not initiate the current conflict but was compelled to respond to aggression from Hamas. "We did not start this war. They forced us to enter this war," he said.
He called upon the international community to support Israel in its efforts to combat Hamas, stressing that Israel would adhere to international humanitarian laws to protect innocent civilians.
He emphasised, "Israel's war is a just war. We are acting in self-defense, eliminating threats, and the enemy that aims to kill and destroy us."
Regarding the offensive against Hamas, Cohen revealed "So far we have eliminated 1,000 terrorists". He criticised Hamas for its disregard for the people of Gaza, accusing the organisation of using them as human shields".
Cohen stated, "The goal is to prevent peace in our area and to work for escalation through terror and the murder of innocent people. Right now, they don't even care about the people of Gaza. They're using them as human protection."
"We cannot call them inhuman or animals. Even animals don't act like this. The only definition is monsters," Cohen expressed.
Cohen's statements also underscored the global significance of the conflict, portraying it as a battle against a threat that is willing to spread. He warned that if not halted in Gaza, it could potentially reach other parts of the world.
"We are not fighting just for Israel; we are fighting for the entire free world. Terrorism is exactly like cancer. It's willing to spread. And if we do not stop it here, it will come to Paris, London, New York, and all other places as well," he warned.
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner also provided insights into the IDF's ongoing offensive against Hamas, highlighting three core components.
"We are on day 11 of our offensive against Hamas, destroying, degrading, and seeking out the leaders of the terrorist organization that launched the brutal massacre of our people on Saturday...," he said, adding, "The IDF is currently engaged in three core components - still securing the area surrounding the Gaza area, making sure that, the communities are, no longer threatened by terrorists that potentially could still be in Israeli territory."
These include securing the area surrounding Gaza, rebuilding and reconstructing the barrier that was breached in several places, and striking the terrorist infrastructure within Gaza City.
"The second component would be to rebuild and, reconstruct the barrier itself as it was destroyed in several places over 20 points of infiltration. We are concurrently doing that by increasing and, bringing and rebuilding across the frontier, we've positioned many forces at different points of breach as well and also physical barriers that will prevent easy infiltration again by terrorists that potentially could still come from the Gaza strip."
"The third component of our efforts is indeed focused on striking the terrorist infrastructure, the Hamas terrorist organization that has built its hub terrorism. It the in the heart of Hamas, in the heart of the Gaza Strip, in Gaza City. And indeed, we are striking them. We are striking the organization we are striking its leaders. We are striking all of its components...", he added.
The war continues to unfold, with international pressure mounting for an immediate ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table to resolve the long-standing Israel-Palestine conflict.