BICOM

During an emergency meeting of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the only way to stop an escalation in the fighting between Israel and Hamas is for Hamas to stop firing rockets from Gaza.

Reflecting on the violence which he summarised had so far seen Hamas and others fire more than 550 rockets and Israel launch more than 500 air strikes, Ban said that “Today we face the risk of an all-out escalation in Israel and Gaza with the threat of a ground offensive still palpable and preventable only if Hamas stops rocket firing.” He added, “Israel has legitimate security concerns but I am also concerned at the many Palestinian deaths and injuries as a result of Israeli operations.”

Last night, US President Barack Obama telephoned Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The White House said that during the call, Obama “reiterated the United States’ strong condemnation of continuing rocket fire into Israel by Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza and reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against these attacks.” He also warned of the risks of an escalation and offered to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

However, Netanyahu made clear to members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee yesterday that a ceasefire is not on the agenda for now. Following a seven-hour security cabinet meeting yesterday evening, Netanyahu said “Until now, the operation has been going as planned, but there are more stages ahead,” without specifying what they might include. He explained, “Until now, we have dealt a heavy blow to Hamas and the terrorists, and the longer the operation goes on, the deeper we will strike them.” Netanyahu also praised Israeli forces for making “every effort to avoid harming civilians.”

Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon also commented, praising the resilience of Israeli citizens in the face of rocket barrages. He pledged “We will strike wherever we need to strike, defend wherever we need to defend.”