While Israeli forces continue bombings in the Gaza Strip (at least 40 victims) the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to reiterate theimportance of the capture of Rafah, considering it crucial for the victory in the war against Hamas: "Not entering Rafah means losing the war" explains the prime minister. Netanyahu also rejected the accusations of genocide leveled against Israel by the president of Brazil, Lula: “The sentences uttered by the president of Brazil are shameful and serious. They belittle the Holocaust and represent an attempt to attack the Jewish people and Israel's right to defense."
The Israeli government, meanwhile, unanimously approved a formal declaration presented by Prime Minister Netanyahu himself which affirms theIsraeli opposition "to any unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state“, reiterating the “categorical rejection of international edicts on a permanent agreement with the Palestinians”. The resolution also received the support of ministers from the centrist party led by Benny Gantz.
Netanyahu limits access to mosques, angers Hamas
Netanyahu then agreed to the request of the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of a far-right party, to limit the access of Arab-Israelis at the Temple Mount during Ramadan, despite opposition from the Shin Bet. According to Israeli intelligence, limiting access to the Esplanade could aggravate the situation, especially if applied to Arab-Israelis and those with permanent residency but the police also appear to agree with the proposed restrictions.
For the prime minister's office the choice is "balanced" and "allows freedom of worship within the limits of security requirements determined by the security authorities".
Hamas was immediately criticized and defined this move as "violation of freedom of worship” and called on Palestinians to “mobilize, march and be present in the al-Aqsa mosque”.
In a statement reported by international media, Hamas declared that this decision by Israel "indicates the occupation's intention to intensify its aggression against the al-Aqsa mosque during the month of Ramadan." The movement then urged Palestinians in the occupied territories, Jerusalem and the West Bank, "to reject this criminal decision and resist the arrogance of the occupation."
Lula accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza
The Brazilian president's words come like a boulder from the international front Lula da Silva that has openly accused Israel of “genocide” of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Lula did not stop only at the accusation but also compared what Israel did in Gaza with the extermination of the Jews perpetrated by the Nazi regime. “What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not a war, it is a genocide. What is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people has already happened when Hitler decided to eliminate the Jews,” Lula said from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, where he is for the African Union summit.
Ready and furious there Netanyahu's response. “The sentences pronounced by the president of Brazil are shameful and serious. They belittle the Holocaust and represent an attempt to attack the Jewish people and Israel's right to defense. With his comparison between Israel on the one hand and the Holocaust of the Nazis and Hitler on the other, he crosses a 'red line'" explains the prime minister who, together with Foreign Minister Israel Katz, immediately summoned the Brazilian ambassador to clarify the statements by Lula.
The Netanyahu government is facing growing pressures both from abroad and within the country. A weekly march took place in Tel Aviv on Saturday with demands to immediately replace the government and change the course of the war to ensure the return of the hostages. The Israeli authorities reiterate that the release of detainees is the main objective, but the protesters believe that this objective is still far from being achieved with the means used so far.
