Egypt Daily News – Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revealed on Monday that “the Israeli army is preparing for a more lethal operation in the Gaza Strip, led by newly appointed Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and with political support from U.S. President Donald Trump.”
In a speech, Smotrich stated, “Everyone will be astonished by the strength, precision, and lethality of the military operation to occupy the Gaza Strip when we decide on the right time to resume it,” adding, “We have significant influence over the decision-making process, which includes not releasing the 600 Palestinian prisoners.”
He emphasized that “the Israeli army is prepared to destroy Hamas at any moment” and expressed his conviction that “Israel will return to war in Gaza after the first phase of the ceasefire agreement ends.”
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which ends on March 1, stipulates that Hamas will release 33 Israelis, including eight deceased individuals, in exchange for Israel releasing 1,900 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.
The Israeli Army Radio reported that Israel has handed over a list of prisoners from the Gaza Strip who are set to be released. Meanwhile, Al-Qassam Brigades displayed Israeli weapons on the prisoner exchange platform in Rafah, which they had seized from Israeli soldiers they had captured or killed during the war on Gaza.
Hamas stated that negotiations for the second phase have not yet begun, but communications with mediators are ongoing. The group emphasized that “ensuring the completion of upcoming exchange operations depends on the occupation’s commitment to the remaining terms of the agreement and the implementation of the humanitarian protocol.”
Regarding Lebanon, the Israeli Finance Minister clarified that “the Israeli army holds sovereignty in Lebanon on the ground,” asserting that it “enforces the agreement and attacks anything that moves with absolute operational freedom.”
The minister added: “Hezbollah is at its lowest point in decades, and what we saw yesterday in Lebanon was a funeral procession for the Shiite axis,” continuing, “A defeated and wounded enemy that did not even dare to bury the leader of the terrorists whom we eliminated five months ago,” referring to former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
The funeral ceremonies for the two former Hezbollah Secretary-Generals, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safi al-Din, were held at the Sports City Stadium in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday, with the presence of a high-ranking Iranian delegation.
It is noteworthy that on September 27, 2024, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting the party’s central command headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The Israeli army announced the operation, while Hezbollah confirmed Nasrallah’s death in an official statement. According to sources, Nasrallah’s body showed no direct wounds, and it is believed that the cause of death was severe shock due to the intensity of the explosion.
