Israeli Defense Minister Orders His Army to Respond "With Great Force" to Any Threat from Hamas
In a development coinciding with the announcement of a ceasefire agreement, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that he has given strict instructions to the army to prepare to respond violently to any hostile actions.
This came during an assessment Katz conducted of the security situation with Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi and several senior military leaders, prior to the meetings of the security cabinet and the Israeli government scheduled for this evening to approve the agreement.
According to a statement issued by the Defense Minister's office, Katz directed the Israeli army to "respond with great force to any threat or attack by Hamas against Israeli forces".
The statement clarified, as reported by the "Times of Israel" website, that these instructions are in effect during the "transition period leading up to the government's decision and until the agreement is implemented", indicating a state of high military alert despite diplomatic progress.
On the ground, media outlets reported incidents of gunfire, where Israeli forces fired at returning displaced persons near the Nitzarim area.
On another note, the "Al Arabiya" website quoted a medical source stating that the death toll from Israeli operations in Gaza since dawn today has reached 17 fatalities.
This verbal and military escalation comes one day after the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack, and following the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump of an agreement between the two parties on the "first phase" of the Gaza plan, which includes a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange process, after indirect talks in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, regarding the 20-point U.S. plan.
