While the southern Gaza Strip witnessed continuous battles, Israeli War Council Minister Benny Gantz confirmed that military operations would continue for a long time, and that his government was committed to “eliminating (Hamas) and recovering the hostages.”

Gantz said in a press conference that the achievements of his country’s army are increasing, and that “Hamas rule” has no longer existed in large areas of the Gaza Strip.

Gantz chose the term “Israeli operations” in reference to the beginning of the third phase of the war in the northern Gaza Strip, which is the phase that is based on specific operations instead of intensive operations, and it is a phase that is also supposed to move to the south at a later stage. Israel plans for these operations to continue for approximately a full year.

Gantz's threats came a day after meetings held by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Israel, which aimed to reduce the intensity of operations, stop the killing of civilians, move to the third phase, and develop a plan for what is known as the “next day” after the war.

On Wednesday, Israel continued its massive attack in the southern Gaza Strip, in a battle that appears difficult, harsh, and complex as well.

An Israeli army spokesman said that the forces of the “5th Brigade” killed dozens of militants and destroyed hundreds of infrastructure one kilometer from the border in the village of Khuza’a, east of the city of Khan Yunis, noting that the soldiers found paths to tunnels and many combat means and intelligence materials. This was among about 150 targets that Israel said it attacked within 24 hours in the central and southern Gaza Strip.

The spokesman explained that the Israeli forces continue to operate on the ground in the Gaza Strip, with support and coordination with the Air Force and the Navy, noting that, on Wednesday, they attacked militants in the Al-Maghazi area in the central Gaza Strip, and uncovered more than 15 underground tunnel openings in the area, and found... Platforms for launching rockets, missiles, drones, and explosive materials.

In return, the “Al-Qassam Brigades” affiliated with “Hamas” and the “Jerusalem Brigades” affiliated with “Jihad” said that they destroyed the concentrations of soldiers penetrating the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip with mortar shells, clashed with them and targeted them, and also destroyed tanks and vehicles.

The Israeli army announced that 17 officers and soldiers were injured in the battles in Gaza during the past 24 hours. This came a day after it announced the killing of 9 of its officers and soldiers, and the injury of 27 others in the battles taking place in Gaza.

While the clashes continued on the ground, Israeli aircraft continued to bomb large areas in the Gaza Strip, killing more civilians, including 3 journalists and 4 paramedics, despite US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s clear and decisive request from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop harming civilians.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that the occupation committed 14 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, leaving 147 dead and 243 wounded who arrived at hospitals during the last 24 hours, while a number of victims are still under rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them.

The government media office confirmed that Israel killed journalist Fouad Abu Khammash in an Israeli bombing on Salah al-Din Street in the center of the Gaza Strip, and journalist Ahmed Badir by bombing a house adjacent to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the center of the Strip, hours after the killing of journalist Sherif Okasha and journalist Heba al-Abadla, which raises the number of deaths. Journalists killed by Israel in Gaza since the start of the war on the Strip, to 116.

Israel also killed 4 paramedics in bombing an ambulance on Salah al-Din Street in the central Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed that 4 of its crews were killed in that bombing.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that the number of victims of the aggression rose to 23,357 dead, in addition to more than 59,000 injured.

The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip was accompanied by an ongoing escalation in the West Bank.

Large Israeli forces stormed most of the West Bank cities and camps, and worked there for long hours in operations usually aimed at killing and arresting Palestinians and confiscating weapons and money. Wednesday's operation resulted in many arrests, injuries, and widespread destruction of infrastructure.

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, Israel has feared that the West Bank would turn into another front, but these fears have reached the stage of real assessments.

Israeli security leaders have warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu several times in recent days that the West Bank is on the verge of major violence.

Israeli media said that Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy and other senior military commanders conveyed these warnings, and said that Israel risks opening a new front in the West Bank amid the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and the ongoing clashes on the northern border with Hezbollah. Lebanese.

The warnings included other members of the war cabinet, such as Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister Benny Gantz, who were informed of the possibility of major unrest in the West Bank.

The growing concern comes in the wake of Israel's withholding of hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues from the Palestinian Authority, in addition to its refusal to allow about 150,000 Palestinian workers to return to their jobs in Israel and the settlements.

Israeli army commanders were quoted as saying: “We may end up with a third intifada in the West Bank due to discontent resulting from economic difficulties and the lack of entry of workers into Israel.”

The Shin Bet Security Service is participating with the army in its assessment.

The West Bank witnessed a number of shooting, running over, and stabbing operations, but so far they have not risen to the level of an uprising or intifada.