War in the Middle East: Israel's Ground Offensive and Hamas Arrests

Israel expanded its ground operation in the Gaza Strip over the Christmas weekend, focusing on the extensive network of tunnels run by Hamas, the Islamist group. The troops are involved in complex battles in densely populated areas, tracking down terrorist infrastructures, particularly in the underground tunnels. The military's spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said on Saturday evening that destroying these tunnels is time-consuming, and they are close to gaining control of the northern part of the coastal strip.

After days of wrangling, the UN Security Council passed a resolution on Friday, urging an increase in humanitarian aid to alleviate the terrible suffering of the civilian population. However, the watered-down compromise text does not call for an immediate ceasefire. Despite this, US President Joe Biden made it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a telephone call on Saturday that civilians, including humanitarian aid workers, must be protected at all costs.

Israel's army's focus on Hamas tunnels

According to the United Nations, one in four Palestinians in Gaza is at risk of starvation. In recent talks with Israel's leadership, the US government has repeatedly insisted on more targeted military operations that should concentrate on the Hamas leadership. Israel claims that Hamas is hiding in the tunnels under the coastal area. In order to destroy these, the technical forces in the southern city of Chan Junis have been significantly increased, and the division fighting there will be further expanded in the coming days.

An entire network of tunnels stretches for many kilometers below the Gaza Strip, in which, according to Israel, a number of Hamas terrorists are hiding and holding hostages from Israel. In order to withstand Israel's bombs from the air, some tunnels reach dozens of meters underground. The terrorists also use the underground routes to emerge from nowhere and attack from behind. Many of the tunnels are booby-trapped to kill Israeli soldiers who enter them.

Since the beginning of the war, around 30,000 explosive devices, including anti-tank missiles and rockets, have been destroyed or confiscated by Israel's military. The military had previously announced that it had killed a senior Hamas official responsible for its own weapons supply.

Meanwhile, in the north, Israel says it is in the process of taking control of the area. However, Israeli military analysts quoted by the "Wall Street Journal" on Saturday said such control does not mean that the military has eliminated Hamas' presence. Instead, Israel is only limiting Hamas' ability to carry out attacks. Due to the tunnels, Israel cannot consolidate its control over Gaza. That is why the army is now concentrating more on the tunnels.

More than 700 Hamas members arrested

Israel's military announced on Saturday that it had captured more than 700 members of terrorist organizations during the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, including over 200 in just one week, for interrogation. Some had surrendered. The information could not initially be independently verified.

The war was triggered by the worst attack in Israel's history, carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7 near the border with the Gaza Strip. More than 1,200 people were killed on the Israeli side as a result. Israel responded with massive air strikes and began a ground offensive at the end of October. According to the Hamas health authority in Gaza, more than 20,000 people have been killed in the area since then.

Meanwhile, the sirens sounded again on Sunday morning in northern Israel, as the army announced. Mutual attacks had previously taken place again on the border with Lebanon. Israeli soldiers had attacked a military compound and other targets of the Shiite militia Hezbollah in the neighboring country, the army announced on Saturday. Several rocket launches and attacks with mortar shells from Lebanon towards Israel were recorded. The Hezbollah militia is closely linked to Israel's arch-enemy Iran.

According to US intelligence, Iran is deeply involved in the planning of attacks by Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea. According to the US Department of Defense, Iran is also responsible for a drone attack on a merchant ship in the Arabian Sea off the coast of India. The Liberian-flagged oil and chemical tanker "MV Chem Pluto" was hit by an attack drone from Iran on Saturday, the Pentagon announced in Washington. A fire on board the tanker was extinguished. There were no fatalities or injuries in the incident, the statement from Saturday added.

What will be important on Sunday

Israel's army is stepping up the fighting against Hamas. The situation is becoming increasingly dramatic for civilians due to the lack of relief supplies. Meanwhile, Christmas is being celebrated quietly in the Holy Land because of the war. Access to the city of Bethlehem in the West Bank is extremely restricted by Israeli army roadblocks. However, midnight mass is to take place.

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According to United Nations reports, one in four Palestinians in Gaza is at risk of starvation. The US government has repeatedly encouraged Israel to carry out more targeted military operations against Hamas leadership, focusing on the group's hiding spots in the tunnels under the coastal area. In recent talks, the US also urged Israel to be more cautious in their attacks to minimize collateral damage.

Despite Israel's military efforts to take control of the north of the coastal strip, Israeli military analysts have noted that such control does not necessarily mean eliminating Hamas' presence. Rather, Israel is only limiting the group's ability to carry out attacks. The presence of tunnels complicates Israel's ability to consolidate its control over Gaza.

Meanwhile, US intelligence suggests that Iran is deeply involved in planning attacks by Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea. Additionally, the US Department of Defense has confirmed responsibility for a drone attack on a merchant ship in the Arabian Sea off the coast of India by an attack drone from Iran. The attack resulted in a fire on board the tanker, but no fatalities or injuries were reported.

According to the UN, Israel's military has destroyed or confiscated approximately 30,000 explosive devices, including anti-tank missiles and rockets, since the beginning of the war. The Israeli military also claimed to have killed a senior Hamas official responsible for its own weapons supply.

As of Saturday, Israel's military had captured more than 700 members of terrorist organizations during the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, including over 200 in just one week, for interrogation. Some have surrendered, while others were captured during raids. The numbers are yet to be independently verified.

The ultimate goal of Israel's military operation is to destroy or disable the extensive network of tunnels used by Hamas to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel. These tunnels reach deep underground, some reaching dozens of meters, and are booby-trapped to cause maximum damage to Israeli soldiers. Hamas also uses these tunnels to launch attacks from behind and ambush Israeli forces.

The war in the Middle East, which began with the worst attack in Israel's history on October 7 near the border with the Gaza Strip, has resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people on the Israeli side, according to the Hamas health authority in Gaza. This has prompted massive air strikes and a ground offensive by Israel, which has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The lack of relief supplies has made the situation increasingly dire for the civilian population in Gaza. The UN has reported that over one quarter of Palestinians in the region are at risk of starvation. The US government has urged Israel to do more to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and protect civilians, including humanitarian aid workers, during military operations.

The situation in the Middle East is further complicated by concerns about Iran's role in planning attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea and a drone attack on a merchant ship in the Arabian Sea off the coast of India. The US Department of Defense has attributed the attack to Iran and has called for an investigation.

Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip have resulted in the arrest of over 700 members of terrorist organizations during the ground operation, including over 200 in just one week. These individuals have been taken for interrogation, and some have surrendered. The goal of the operations is to destroy or disable the extensive network of tunnels used by Hamas to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel. The situation is expected to continue to be volatile as both sides continue to engage in mutual attacks, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen.