Israel Army soldiers recently held a ‘gender reveal party’ and filmed themselves blowing up a building in Gaza – having rigged it with explosives that give off blue smoke – to indicate that the newborn baby is male.
“Its a boy!” Israeli soldiers could be heard saying in the video circulating on social media, as bursts of laughter from them followed, with the building blowing up – plumes of blue and grey smoke billowing from it.
Israel Gaza war
Israel’s latest ‘gender reveal’ act comes amid the Benjamin Netanyahu led nation’s approved plans on Monday, May 5, to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the Palestinian territory for an unspecified amount of time, AP reported, citing two Israeli officials said.
The officials told AP that if the move is implemented, it would vastly expand Israel’s operations in Gaza and likely bring fierce international opposition.
Israeli Cabinet ministers approved the plan in an early morning vote, hours after the Israeli military chief said the army was calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.
What is Israel’s ‘new’ plan in Gaza?
Israel’s new plan about Gaza, according to officials, is designed to assist Israel in achieving its war objectives of defeating Hamas and securing the release of hostages held in Gaza. It also proposes the relocation of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to southern Gaza, which could lead to their forcible displacement and worsen the already critical humanitarian situation, reported AP.
When will the plan come into action?
A third source, a defense official, mentioned that Israel’s ‘new roadmap’ would not be implemented until after US President Donald Trump’s anticipated visit to the Middle East later this month, leaving open the possibility that Israel may agree to a ceasefire in the interim.
Israel ceasefire
Ever since Israel ended its ceasefire with the Hamas militant group in mid-March, it has launched intense strikes across Gaza, resulting in hundreds of casualties. According to the Associated Press, Israeli forces have seized large areas and now control approximately 50 percent of the territory.
Prior to the collapse of the truce, Israel had already suspended all humanitarian aid to Gaza—including food, fuel, and water—triggering what many reports describe as the most severe humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of conflict.
