In the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, day 18 saw an escalation in Israel’s military efforts as they increased ground and air strikes in Gaza with the goal of eradicating the Hamas threat. Former US President Barack Obama, however, expressed concern over Israel’s military strategy, emphasizing that it should not disregard humanitarian aspects as it might lead to unfavourable consequences.

Conversely, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported a relentless series of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since the October 7 attack, resulting in a devastating death toll that has now surpassed 5,000.

Israel conducted numerous airstrikes in Gaza on Monday, and their ground troops became increasingly involved in the conflict. In a glimmer of hope, Hamas released two Israeli women who had been held hostage since the October 7 attack. These women marked the third and fourth hostages to be set free, providing a ray of optimism amidst the conflict.

Israel’s stance remained steadfast, with Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Harzi Halevi asserting that there were no intentions of halting the attacks on Gaza. He expressed readiness for a ground assault and emphasized the objective of bringing Hamas to complete destruction, indicating the continuation of the onslaught.

He also suggested that ground attacks would escalate further, particularly in the southern region of Israel adjacent to Gaza. The United States, while publicly supporting Israel’s right to self-defence, privately urged caution in its negotiations with Israeli officials.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama weighed in on the foreign policy crisis, cautioning Israel not to cause excessive civilian casualties in retaliation against Hamas, as it could alienate generations of Palestinians. He warned that any military strategy that ignored humanitarian concerns might ultimately lead to detrimental consequences. The conflict had already resulted in a significant number of Palestinian casualties, including innocent children, and had forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Barack Obama’s statement carried a sense of irony, as he had previously been in power when the American government, led by his administration, successfully executed the operation to kill terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in May 2011.

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