‘If Hamas surrender, the war will end tomorrow’: Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy

‘If Hamas surrender, the war will end tomorrow’: Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy

There are of course any number of topics that we could be focusing on but given that we have heard from the IDF about what what took place at the magazi at refugee camp I wonder if we might Focus the majority of our time on that what is

Your understanding as to what took place there on Christmas Eve my understanding is as a military spokesperson has told Israeli television an incorrect munition was used in that strike we of course do our best to be targeted and precise and to Target the Hamas terrorists and do

Everything to get civilians out of Harms way and it appears that in this mistake in war a mistake was made and we are learning lessons one of those lessons is the importance of getting civilians out of Harm’s Way and that’s why since before the beginning of the ground

Offensive we have been urging them to go to the al- masasi zone that we have designated as a humanitarian Zone and we’ve done that because that’s an area in the Gaza Strip where Hamas has not already embedded itself under homes schools hospitals and it’s important to

Note that if the 1,500 Terr tunnels that we have found most of them poke out inside schools hospitals and un facilities and we think it’s tragic that un agencies instead of working with us to protect civilians by moving them to the designated safe zone are funneling them into Hamas strongholds instead

There is for anyone just to keep our focus on on on magazi if if we can the the the IDF speaking to to another Israeli broadcasters is the head of the IDF statement as you say said the type of munition did not match the nature of

The attack can you be specific as what that means what munition was used by the Israeli the IDF Jets I don’t know what specific munition we used when we choose ammunitions we tried to adhere very strictly to the international rules of proportionality and distinction and necessity because this isn’t a war

Against the people of Gaza it’s a war against the monsters who perpetrated the October 7th Massacre and have spent every waking day since threatening a repeat of that massacre in this case it appears an incorrect munition was used and we regret the loss of life we don’t

Want to to see more people heard that’s why we’re calling on Hamas to surrender so the war can end immediately and if Hamas doesn’t want to surrender we want un agencies to help move civilians into places where they can be safe instead of sending them into Hamas strongholds and

Putting them in places where they’re in danger but given that this was a mistake a fatal mistake a fatal mistake involving dozens of civilians people that that even the IDF in its statement have made clear were not combatants they weren’t being targeted why an expression of regret from Israel rather than an

Apology we are going after the Hamas terrorists who perpetrated the October 7th Massacre and when we do that we take every precaution in order to minimize the risk to civilians and trying to get them out of Harm’s Way of course any civilian debts are regrettable we don’t

Want to see more people being hurt that’s why we think it’s upsetting that un agencies aren’t helping to evacuate them to uh safe zones or instead funneling them into strongholds and we want to see them getting to areas where they can have safety and shelter because

We don’t want to see more people being hurt doesn’t it say does would you would you apologize if as the rdf is obviously doing at the moment conducting its own investigations this was a mistake a mistake of Epic Proportions one which involved the killing of a number of

Civilians and which Prima fasi could be a war crime no this was a regrettable mistake this should not have happened the choice of munition was incorrect and when we are dealing with with a very complicated war zone an area that I’ll remind you is a unique counterterrorism

Challenge that no Army in the history of world has had to deal with it is inevitable that mistakes will be made we will not apologize for waging this campaign to bring the Hamas Terror regime to Justice after October 7th and bring back our hostages and when civilians are caught in the crossfire

Because Hamas is operating from inside civilian areas we think that is regrettable two but in the two statements that we have the one that was released today and the one on on Christmas Eve I fighter jet struck two Targets adjacent to which Hamas operatives were located on the 24th of

December two days ago an Israeli Army spokesman said despite the challenges posed by Hamas terrorists operating Within These civilian areas the IDF is committed to international law including taking feasible steps to minimize harm to civilians is it the Israeli position that when such steps are in feasible as

It was in this densely populated area when the wrong Munitions were used that you simply carry on regardless it is the Israeli position that we adhere strictly to the rules of proportionality distinction and necessity under international law and it’s the Israeli position that we want civilians to go to

Areas where they can be protected we do not want them inside Hamas strongholds and we think that un agencies that are funneling them into Hamas strongholds instead of cooperating and helping them get to the safe zone are culpable in the loss of life that could have been

Avoided if they had cooperated with our plans to get civilians out of Harm’s Way before the ground offensive began sure but Mr leevy haven’t you just failed the test that you just set up for yourself as you say Israel wishes to be committed to to to the rules including

Proportionality on this occasion you did not there are only so many times I can repeat that in Wars mistakes are sometimes made and when those mistakes are made then like mature responsible democracies we say that mistakes were made that they were regrettable that we regret any loss of life because we are

Trying to do everything we can to minimize civilian casualties while Hamas has a strategy of maximizing casualties and we continue to learn lessons and step up our efforts to get civilians out of Harm’s Way and one of those efforts to get civilians out of Harm’s Way is to

Pressure the UN agencies on the ground that have been funneling civilians into Hamas strongholds to stop being complicit with hamas’s human shield strategy and to help us protect them by moving them into the areas where Hamas is not already operating and then there is no reason for anyone to be hurt at

All because they will be moved to areas where Hamas is not already hiding under their homes under their schools under their hospitals and under their mosques as we continue to expose every single day indeed Mr Le I am sorry if you feel that I’m laboring the point here but but

There is a there is a significant issue around this because people are making the point that doesn’t the incident at the magazi camp prove the lie that Israel does all that it can to minimize civilian casualties and more than that that there are countless other incidents that have taken place in Gaza since

October the 7th that when the dust settles need to be looked at just as closely as this one to every rule there is an exception there was an exception on this case with an incorrect munition that appears to have been used and we regret the loss of civilian life and we

Repeat that we are making extreme lengths to try to keep civilians safe that’s why for example we warned people to get out of Northern Gaza before the ground offensive began we could have swooped in while civilians were there but we wanted to get them out of Harm’s

Way that’s why we secured a humanitarian Corridor for people to evacuate South while our soldiers were having Hamas firing RPGs at them that’s why we have been operating facilities for Palestinians to tell us if Hamas is holding them as human Shields and not letting them get out of the way and why

We continue to urge the International Community to stop being complicit with hamas’s human shield strategy and to help civilians get to Safety in areas where Hamas cannot hide behind them final one on this but but given given the the high standards to which Israel is holding itself if the investigation

Proves that which the IDF has already suggested that this was a mistake and a mistake of catastrophic catastrophic proportions would you be able to take the high ground and issue not just a statement of regret but an apology to those the families of those who have died I can’t uh give answers to

Hypothetical questions what I can say is we are going to continue to make every effort to minimize civilian casualties despite the fact that we are facing an enemy that is intentionally trying to maximize them and I want to explain hamas’s human shield strategy and how sick it is because for Hamas civilian

Deaths are not a tragedy they are a strategy Hamas has said openly that it is willing to sacrifice and Martyr its civilians because that generates International sympathy and that sympathy generates the pressure that they think will force Israel to desist and stop fighting to recover the 129 hostages who

Are still trapped in the Hamas Terror Dungeons and stop fighting to bring to Justice the monsters who perpetrated the October 7 Massacre and have been threatening to repeat that every day since that horrific day when they butchered burned massacred and raped so many Israelis indeed um Mr Le I just

Wonder whether you feel the tempo of this conflict will continue to increase in the way which it it seemingly has over the past few days or if there is any chance that there will be an end to the violence anytime soon well if Hamas surrenders the war can end tomorrow and

We think that the only what would what would a surrender How would how would a Sur how would a surrender look because that that is a significant point there what would surrender be we demand that Hamas lay down its arms turn over its war criminals for a war crimes tribunal and

Release the hostages immediately but if anyone thinks that this war is going to end with us abandoning our 129 hostages in the hands of the Hamas rapist regime and leaving that Terror regime in power and able to threaten our people as they butchered them on October 7th then they

Are sorely mistaken just to be absolutely clear then as long ascities can never return yeah but just just to be absolutely clear then so long as there is a single hostage in Hamas hands we will see bombing likes of which we have seen today and indeed on Christmas

Eve at magazi we will see the the the the ground offensive such as we’ve seen over the past 24 hours operating at the same level as long as there remain hostages and Hammer hands this will continue our campaign our strategy in this war that Hamas launched against us

On October 7th is to destroy hamas’s military and governing capabilities and bring back the hostages and we think that allies that want to bring this war to a speedy end and believe me everyone in this country wants this war to be over we just don’t have the luxury to

End this war with Hamas still in power and the hostages in Gaza allies who want this war to be over should be standing by our side as we exercise what President Biden said should be swift decisive and overwhelming force in order to bring the Hamas Terror regime to

Justice after the atrocities of October 7th and make sure they can never repeat them again

Israeli government spokesperson, Eylon Levy has told Sky News the war “will end tomorrow” if Hamas surrenders.

Meanwhile Mr Levy said “a mistake was made” after “incorrect munition” was used in a strike on a refugee camp in central Gaza which killed at least 68 Palestinians.

Read more here:
https://news.sky.com/israel-hamas-war

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