Israeli soldiers respond to an alert of an apparent security incident, in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Oct. 10, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Israel said on Tuesday it had killed dozens of Hamas terrorists overnight in strikes on Gaza but that its war to destroy the Islamist group, which involves bombing and blockading the Palestinian enclave, would take time.

The United Nations urged Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, after two weeks of Israeli air strikes triggered by Hamas’ invasion of Israel on Oct. 7 and massacre of over 1,400 people, mostly civilians.

Hamas on Monday freed two Israeli women who were among the more than 200 hostages taken during the Oct. 7 assault. They were the third and fourth hostages to be released.

Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, she was well-treated during her two-week captivity in Gaza but beaten by terrorists as she was seized and had difficulty breathing. “I’ve been through hell,” she said.

Israeli tanks and troops are massed on the border between Israel and the Hamas-ruled enclave awaiting orders for an expected ground offensive — an operation that will be complicated by concerns over the hostages.

The Israeli military said it had hit more than 400 terrorist targets in Gaza overnight and killed dozens of Hamas fighters, including three deputy commanders.

Among the targets hit was a tunnel that allowed Hamas to infiltrate Israel from the sea and Hamas command centers in mosques, it said.

Earlier, Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi suggested Israel had no intention of curbing its strikes.

“We want to bring Hamas to a state of full dismantling,” Halevi said in a statement.

“We are well prepared for the ground operations in the south,” he added.

Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the military was “ready and determined” for the next stage in the war and was awaiting political instruction.

But how soon Israel might launch an invasion is not clear. The Middle East’s most powerful military faces a group that has built up a powerful arsenal with Iran’s help, fighting in a crowded urban setting and using a vast tunnel network.

Medical officials in Gaza said dozens of Palestinians were killed or wounded overnight across the enclave due to Israeli strikes.

NO GREEN LIGHT

Foreign governments have expressed concern that the conflict could ignite the whole of the Middle East. Already clashes have taken place in the West Bank and along the Lebanon-Israel border.

The ruling emir of Qatar, which has tried to mediate between Israel and Hamas, urged the international community to rein in Israel in its fight against Hamas.

“We say enough. Israel shouldn’t be granted an unconditional green light and unrestricted authorization to kill,” Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said in a speech to the Gulf state’s Shura council.

Support for Israel came from French President Emmanuel Macron, who landed in Tel Aviv on Tuesday and was meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of Israel‘s war cabinet in Jerusalem.

Macron said France would not leave Israel isolated in its fight against Hamas but warned against the risks of a regional conflict.

Speaking alongside him, Netanyahu said after the conflict no one would live “under Hamas tyranny” but warned the war would take time.

After meeting with families of French victims, Macron told President Isaac Herzog that France stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Israel and that the first objective should be to free hostages in Gaza.

“We are linked to Israel through mourning,” Macron said earlier on social media, saying that 30 French people were killed in the Oct. 7 attacks and nine were still missing or held hostage.

US President Joe Biden welcomed the release of the two hostages, and also underscored the need to sustain “a continuous flow” of humanitarian assistance into Gaza in a telephone call with Netanyahu, the White House said.

In public, the United States has said Israel has the right to defend itself, but two sources said the White House, Pentagon, and State Department have stepped up private appeals for caution in conversations with the Israelis.

A US priority is to gain time for negotiations to free other hostages, said the sources, who spoke before the hostage releases were announced on Monday.

Asked about the possibility of a ceasefire, Biden said: “We should have those hostages released and then we can talk.”