The terrorist group Hamas has taken hundreds of Israelis hostage since the lightning offensive against Israel began on Saturday. According to Jonathan Conricus, spokesperson for the IDF, Israel’s military strategy is not affected by the execution threat.
– It is something we expected. They have taken hostages to execute, to show it in social media and try to protect themselves from our attacks, he says in Aktuellt.
At the same time, he refutes accusations that Israel would attack civilian targets.
– That is what Hamas does. It is Hamas that has come in, invaded Israel and killed and massacred Israeli civilians in a way that has never happened in Israel’s history, he says.
Want to knock out Hamas
Israel is only targeting Hamas’ military infrastructure, according to Jonathan Conricus.
– What we have said to the civilian population is that if you know that Hamas has infrastructure under you, leave. Go to Egypt or somewhere else. If you want to be safe, stay away from Hamas, he says.
Gaza’s health ministry said on Monday that at least 687 Palestinians had been killed and 3,700 wounded. At least 900 Israelis have been killed and nearly 2,400 injured, according to media in Israel.
Now the IDF has been tasked by the government to completely knock out Hamas’ military capabilities.
– They are our enemies, the civilian population in Gaza are not our enemies. I think they will benefit from what we will do against Hamas, says Jonathan Conricus.
Comprehensive mobilization
At the moment, they have regained control in southern Israel and all Hamas supporters who entered the country have either been killed or captured. Over 300,000 reservists have been called up in a massive military mobilization and it has been reported that a ground invasion of Gaza may be imminent.
But Jonathan Conricus does not want to comment on future plans.
– Our focus is on Hamas’s military capability and making sure this does not happen again, he says.