Overnight in Gaza, the IDF began what
they're calling phase two of Operation
Gideon's Chariot.
>> We will deepen the attack on Hamas in
Gaza City, a stronghold of governmental
and military terror for the terrorist
organization.
>> Over the past week, intensive bombing
and artillery fire has given Israel's
troops an established foothold on the
outskirts of Gaza City in the north of
the strip. It's home to more than a
million Palestinians who are starting to
evacuate ahead of orders to do so as the
IDF begins its ground offensive. For
some, final goodbyes with loved ones
killed in the strikes before they'll be
forced to say goodbye to their city.
With only 14% of Gaza free from
militarized zones or evacuation orders,
there are few places left for the
strip's 2.1 million Palestinians to go.
Now,
>> last time I was displaced to the south,
but this time there's no possibility for
me to move because our displacement is
death. Let's face it, with honor next to
our homes.
>> Israel's operation has attracted
widespread international condemnation,
prompting some nations like France,
Canada, and the UK to state that they
will potentially recognize an official
state of Palestine as a result. I must
reiterate that it is vital to reach
immediately a ceasefire in Gaza and the
unconditional release of all hostages
and to avoid the massive deaths and
destruction that a military operation
against Gaza City would inevitably
cause. In Israel, around 60,000
reserveists are being called up for the
beginning of September to free up active
duty personnel for the operation.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's
decision to seize what he describes as
the last terror strongholds in Gaza has
sparked anger and protests not just from
concerned hostage families but also from
reserveists themselves.
>> We are here to talk today by our feet.
We want all the 50 hostages home. This
is what we want to approve. They need to
come home immediately.
Analysts believe the large-scale
operation is primarily intended to put
pressure on Hamas in the ongoing
negotiations for a ceasefire and end to
the war. Gaza City is Hamas's military
and governing stronghold. It's believed
they operate from a vast network of
underground tunnels. Hamas says Israel's
plans to conquer Gaza City show its
blatant disregard for efforts to broker
peace and a hostage deal. In the center
of the strip, Dear Albala, which has
been relatively safer, has also been
struck this morning. It was already
housing many displaced Palestinians with
more likely to have joined from Gaza
City in the coming days. This is the
area they said was safe south of Gaza.
It's the safe area. I've been displaced
from one place to another, from the
north to the central Gaza Strip, and
then here. We're tired. We're tired.
Tonight, Prime Minister Netanyahu will
hold a security meeting with some of his
cabinet and top army officials. They're
expected to approve the accelerated
plans for the occupation of Gaza City,
with many there now suffering the
effects of malnutrition due to the aid
restrictions. It's unclear how many will
even attempt to move to what little
territory they have left to relocate to.
Well, joining us now to discuss the
Israeli government's plans is Dalia
Paulina Kushner, the sister-in-law of
hostage Horn, currently being held in
Gaza. Dalia, thank you very much for
talking with us. Firstly, how concerned
are you and your family about these
latest offensive plans?
>> Hi, and thank you for having me. Um, I
think I'm terrified.
I think this is a huge mistake. there's
a current deal on the table and I think
the Israeli government
with the help and and all the pressure
and security of the United States and of
course uh putting uh pressure on Hamas,
they should just enter the room and
start this deal and and just finish the
war and release all the hostages.
What do you think it will mean for
hostages like your brother-in-law Eton
in the coming days?
>> You know, um, since October 7th,
unfortunately, and this week marks the
anniversary, the one-year anniversary of
12 hostages that were, uh, killed and
executed by Hamas because the army was
coming to close, you know. So I'm afraid
it would be more of the same. And I know
that when the military pressure is, you
know, harder. So the terrorists are
torturing them even more. They're being
held by evil. Hamas is pure evil. But
Israel has to stop this war now. Bring
them back. Release them. and then start
be building a better future for for the
entire region, not only for Israel, of
course, for Gaza, but for the rest of
the region.
>> There have been protests this week in
Israel, not just by hostage families,
but also by the general public. How
concerned are Israelis about this plan?
I think that according to the last uh
census in Israel, more than 83% of the
population want to see all the hostages,
all the 50 hostages back home and to
finish the war. That means that almost
all the country, so we've seen two and a
half million throughout the day in the
biggest and the central event in Tel
Aiv, we saw half a million of people in
a small country like Israel. That means
that the Israelis wants this war to be
over now. We want all the hostages back.
We don't want any more soldiers to to to
get killed by those terrorists. And we
also want to see a better future for the
innocent civilians in Gaza.
>> And this is a massive callup of
reservists. Some have already said they
won't report. Some families have
expressed concern over the welfare and
mental health of their sons and
daughters. Can Israeli citizens carry on
for much longer with this level of
disruption in their lives?
>> No, we can't. You know, people always
say that we, the Israelis, we're so
resilient and we're used to it and these
kind of things. We're not. And this is
not normal. And we need the entire world
to stand with us because the people of
the southern part of Israel, you know,
this Gaza envelope we call it, which are
the the small uh the small uh cities and
towns around the border with Gaza, but
on the Israeli border, they've been
suffering from missiles and rockets for
20 years. Imagine if it was your house
that for 20 years every day you'll have
siren and then you have 15 seconds to
run to a safe place. How can kids grow
up in such a reality, you know? And then
October 7th, which for us was the worst
thing that we've experienced since World
War II and the images from the
extermination camps and and and offshits
and all these images that the entire
world knows and and now for two years
we've been fighting and at first it was
a very important battle and a very
important and just war because Hamas
wants to eliminate us. We don't want to
eliminate the civilians of Gaza. We want
to live in peace with them. But now when
there's a window of opportunity, when
the big leaders of Hamas are not with us
anymore, when so many countries
understand that Hamas is pure evil and
instead of giving them a nation, we need
to fight together so these terrorists
will go away and leave the population of
Kamas and of course the hostages. This
is a small window of opportunity. We
need to seize that they and and sign
this deal and and be able to
rehabilitate ourselves.
Well, on the subject of rehabilitation,
Israel's international reputation has
taken a severe dent over the past two
and a half years. Are you worried that
the government's plans to what they say
take full control uh will have a huge
impact on Palestinians, but also on how
the rest of the world treats Israel?
I think we see this impact already. I
want to say that I feel ashamed that
after 80 years after the Holocaust when
we all and when I say we all it's not
just the Jewish people it's the entire
world saw the images and said never
again. Once again I'm afraid of
traveling around Europe. I've been to
Europe last months and I was afraid of
speaking Hebrew on the street. I was
afraid of saying that I'm Israeli. I
think the main problem is that the
governments of the countries of Europe
are giving prizes to Hamas and they're
saying, "Oh, so you killed, you
kidnapped, you raped women and now we'll
go to the UN assembly on September and
we'll declare Palestinian state." Are
you nuts? Are you crazy? Are you want to
declare Palestinian state with Hamas in
there? join the fight against terrorism.
Tell Hamas to leave the hostages, to
release them. Tell Hamas to release the
population of Gaza. I'm afraid as an
Israeli because I think that the
mistakes my government is doing together
with huge
mistakes or maybe I don't know if those
just prime ministers cannot see the
truth or cannot stand for what's right
and what's just. So I'm terrified but I
think that we're in this point where we
can still make a change. My government
should sign the deal and stop the war
right away. That's what the Israeli
people want. And your government should
sit down and learn the lesson, I think,
as well.
>> Dalia Paulina Kushner in Kafar Sabah,
thank you for speaking to us.
>> Thank you so much.