Israel vows to eliminate Hamas, return hostages - Halperin

The ultimate goal of Israel’s military operation is to eliminate Hamas and return all hostages, Simona Halperin, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, said at a press briefing in Astana on Tuesday, Kazinform News Agency reports. 

According to Halperin, 241 people (Israeli and other foreign nationals), including 30 children, are still in the Gaza Strip.

At the press briefing, she stressed that 5400 Israelis were injured and 1400 were killed [Ed. as a result of the Hamas attack]. The ultimate goal of Israel’s operation is to eliminate Hamas and return all hostages home, regardless of whether they are Israeli or not, Halperin noted.

Over 100 Kazakhstanis asked the Kazakh embassy in Israel to assist in evacuation from the country, official spokesperson of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry Aibek Smadiyarov said Monday. In his words, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry goes to great lengths to evacuate the nationals of Kazakhstan from the zone of the Israel-Palestine conflict.