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IDF spokesperson Peter Lerner has defended Israel’s resumption of its military offensive in Gaza on Friday after a tenuous seven-day truce.
“Hamas chose to violate the cease-fire when they chose not to release the women and children,” Lerner told DW. “This is a very clear violation. It was absolutely apparent from day one that it was only a matter of time until Hamas decided not to transfer the hostages.”
Lerner said the Islamist militant group could have extended the truce by releasing 20 Israeli women and children it is still holding hostage. Hamas, meanwhile, has accused Israel of ending the truce.
On Friday morning, Israel dropped leaflets on the southern Gaza Strip, telling residents in the city of Khan Younis to move further south to Rafah, located on the border with Egypt.
When asked by DW if this means Israel is expanding its military operation in Gaza, Lerner reiterated: “We will seek out and hunt down Hamas wherever they are in the north or in the south.”
“Indeed, we’ve distributed these leaflets in order to get people out of harm’s way,” he added. “We do intend on operating. We’re not giving a specific timeline, but as we proved in the past, when we say we are intend on operating, we do operate.”
Lerner denied that Israel in the past has called on Palestinians to move to certain places in Gaza, and then bombed those areas. He accused Hamas of abusing the “civilian arena” and hiding behind civilian infrastructure such as mosques and schools, putting people at risk.
Hamas, a militant, Islamist Palestinian group that rules over Gaza, is considered a terrorist organization by the US, Germany, EU and others.
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