Netanyahu Says Army Will Fight on after Deadliest Single Attack in Gaza

22 January 2024, Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with representatives of the hostages' families, at the Prime Minister's Office. Photo: Prime Minister's Media Dept/GPO/dpa
22 January 2024, Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with representatives of the hostages' families, at the Prime Minister's Office. Photo: Prime Minister's Media Dept/GPO/dpa
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Netanyahu Says Army Will Fight on after Deadliest Single Attack in Gaza

22 January 2024, Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with representatives of the hostages' families, at the Prime Minister's Office. Photo: Prime Minister's Media Dept/GPO/dpa
22 January 2024, Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with representatives of the hostages' families, at the Prime Minister's Office. Photo: Prime Minister's Media Dept/GPO/dpa

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mourned the loss of 21 soldiers in the deadliest single attack in Gaza and said the army will fight on until “absolute victory.”

In a posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Netanyahu said Monday was “one of the hardest days since the outbreak of the war.”

He said the army will launch an investigation into the attack, in which a militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank, setting off a secondary explosion that brought two buildings down on the soldiers.
It was the deadliest single attack on Israeli forces in Gaza since the ground operation began.

In the posting on Tuesday, Netanyahu wrote: “In the name of our heroes, and for our own lives, we will not stop fighting until absolute victory.”



US Says Hamas Solely to Blame for Resumption of Gaza Hostilities

 Dorothy Shea, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, addresses a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, US, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)
Dorothy Shea, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, addresses a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, US, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)
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US Says Hamas Solely to Blame for Resumption of Gaza Hostilities

 Dorothy Shea, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, addresses a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, US, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)
Dorothy Shea, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, addresses a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, US, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)

Responsibility for the resumption of hostilities in Gaza lies solely with Hamas, and the United States supports Israel in its next steps, the acting US ambassador to the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Ambassador Dorothy Shea made the statement to a United Nations Security Council briefing after Palestinian health authorities said Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza and killed more than 400 people, ending weeks of relative calm after talks to secure a permanent ceasefire stalled.

"The blame for the resumption of hostilities lies solely with Hamas," Shea said, charging that the group had refused every proposal and deadline to extend the ceasefire and allow time to negotiate a framework for a permanent ceasefire.

Shea said US President Donald Trump had made clear that Hamas must release the hostages it is holding immediately or pay a high price.

"We support Israel in its next steps," she said, while rejecting allegations that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were conducting indiscriminate attacks.

"The IDF is striking Hamas positions," she said. "It is well known that Hamas continues to use civilian infrastructure as launching pads, and the United States condemns this practice as should others."