In a briefing with foreign media at the Israeli Defense Forces' headquarters in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu declared Israel is engaged in a battle with the "enemies of civilization itself" and that any cease-fire with Hamas would be tantamount to surrender.
"Calls for a cease-fire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism," the Israeli leader said. "This is a time for everyone to decide where they stand, Israel will stand against the forces of barbarism until victory."
Netanyahu urged countries around the world to support Israel's military campaign three days after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate "humanitarian truce" to end the ongoing fighting.
Protesters around the world took the streets calling for a cease-fire after Israel moved into a "second phase" of its assault on Hamas over the weekend, including sending ground forces into the Palestinian enclave to try to destroy the militant group's war-making infrastructure.
A surprise, multi-pronged attack launched by Hamas on Oct. 7 resulted in 1,400 Israeli deaths and more than 200 citizens being taken hostage. In the wake of the attack, an unrelating wave of Israeli airstrikes have resulted in a Palestinian death toll of more than 8,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
"I want to make clear Israel's position regarding the cease-fire," Netanyahu said Monday. "Just as the United States would not agree to a cease-fire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, or after the terrorist attack of 9/11, Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities with Hamas after the horrific attacks of Oct. 7."
He also blamed the soaring civilian death toll on Hamas, holding it responsible for the casualties because its leaders have purposely located command centers in civilian areas and is preventing civilians from escaping the front lines.
"Hamas is preventing them from leaving, keeping them in the areas of conflict," Netanyahu said, adding, "Not a single civilian has to die."
Meanwhile, the United Nations said at least 33 additional trucks carrying water, food and medical supplies entered Gaza on Sunday.
The U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the trucks entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt in the largest such delivery since limited convoys resumed Oct. 21.
"While this increase is welcome, a much larger volume of aid is needed on a regular basis to prevent further deterioration in the dire humanitarian situation, including civil unrest," the agency said, noting that before Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, close to 500 trucks per day entered Gaza.
Also on Monday, the U.S. State Department said the last government-sponsored charter flight out of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport is scheduled to depart Tuesday after moves by commercial carriers to suspend operations in Israel due to the conflict.
"Commercial availability remains limited out of Ben Gurion Airport," officials said in updated travel advisory. "The U.S. government is facilitating charter flight transportation for U.S. citizens; we urge those wishing to leave to take advantage of these charters while they are available."
There will be a flight from Ben Gurion on Tuesday -- the last planned flight out of the war-torn country.
"Please go to Ben Gurion International Airport, Terminal 3, if you wish to depart Israel," the State Department said. "U.S. Embassy personnel will be present to direct you and provide specific flight information. Be prepared to wait."
Israel expands Gaza ground invasion, bombs militants in Syria, Lebanon
Washington DC (UPI) Oct 30, 2023 -
The Israeli military expanded its ground invasion of Gaza overnight Sunday as its warplanes also struck military targets in Syria and Lebanon amid fears that its war against Hamas is expanding.
Though Israeli troops have made incursions into Gaza last week and engaged Hamas in skirmishes, the long-expected ground invasion appeared to have kicked off Saturday, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that troops had entered the Palestinian enclave, "marking the beginning of the second stage of the war."
Overnight Sunday, Israeli troops "eliminated" dozens of Hamas fighters who had barricaded themselves in Gaza buildings, Israel Defense Forces Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a statement.
Soldiers also directed warplanes to strike a building that contained more than 20 suspected Hamas militants, he added.
In total, some 600 targets, including weapons warehouses, anti-tank positions and hiding and gathering locations of Hamas operatives, were hit over the last day, Israeli military officials said.
The ground invasion is expanding as Israel continues to engage militants over its northern border in both Syria and Lebanon.
The IDF has been fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah and other militants across Israel's northern borders since early in the three-week war, but the fighting has been intensifying, raising fears of an expanding war in the Middle East.
Israel said its fighter jets struck rocket launch sites in Syria early Monday and Hezbollah targets in Lebanon late Sunday.
As the United States warned against third parties attempting to take advantage of the tumult, American military personnel in the region have also come under a growing number of attacks, resulting in the death of a contractor and minor injuries suffered by 21 U.S. personnel.
In response, the U.S. military late Thursday hit Iran-linked groups in Syria it blames for the attacks.
During a tour of the Sunday news circuit, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CBS News' Face The Nation U.S. officials are seeing "an elevated risk in the conflict spreading to other parts of the region," and that they are trying to prevent that from happening.
The three-week war began Oct. 7 with a Hamas surprise attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of some 1,400 Israelis and more than 200 others kidnapped.
Since that attack, Israel has been bombing Gaza, resulting in a Palestinian death toll that climbs daily. According to the Hamas-run Palestinian ministry of health, 8,005 Palestinians have been killed, including 3,324 children.
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