Netanyahu warns of ‘imminent next step’ signaling entry into Gaza Strip

Beginning the countdown to Israeli ground troops advancing on the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian armed group Hamas is based, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in a bulletproof vest visited a military base near the border with Gaza City on Saturday (local time). The same day, Israeli troops officially declared to take land, sea, and air military action to annihilate Hamas troops.

Against this backdrop, Iran, which reportedly sided with Hamas, implied its possible involvement in the war, warning that things could get out of control unless Israel stops. Meanwhile, U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken met Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Sunday to discuss resolving the unfolding situation.

Prime Minister Netanyahu shook hands with each soldier in the military base, saying that the next stop is approaching, an implication that the arrival of ground troops is imminent. He made the first trip to a military base since Hamas’ airstrikes on Oct. 7.

The Israeli military also declared that armed forces on land, at sea, and in the air are preparing to attack the northern part of the Gaza Strip, promising to end Hamas. The declaration was issued right after Israel’s deadline, warning northern Gazans to evacuate between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (local time) on Saturday. However, things have been harsh on their way out because airstrikes already demolished the area’s most infrastructure systems of including car roads, and a massive flock of evacuators worsened the chaos.

Iran has kept warning about its involvement in the war. Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that Israel’s arrival on land will be met with military action to be taken on the Iranian side. The Representative of Iran to the United Nations posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the situation will end up in an uncontrollable state if Israel does not stop committing war crimes.

On Friday, the U.S. released satellite images showing that approximately 1,000 containers of weapons were recently transported between North Korea and Russia. This disclosure came before the North Korea-Russia summit held at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia on Sept. 13. North Korea unusually shared details about the substantial shipment of military equipment, including ammunition, to Russia.

The South Korean government is closely monitoring North Korea’s provision of weapons to Russia and the circumstances surrounding Russia’s support of cutting-edge military technology to North Korea. “There is suspected evidence,” a senior government official said regarding Russia's assistance to North Korea. Besides using container shipments by sea, reports indicate that significant cargo trains have been observed frequently crossing from Russia into North Korea at the border this month. It is increasingly likely that North Korea may have received technology and equipment related to advanced weaponry, such as ballistic missiles and fighter jets, in exchange for providing weapons to Russia, which is involved in a conflict with Ukraine.

“We now have information that North Korea has delivered arms to Russia for use in Ukraine,” During a briefing on Friday, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said during a Friday briefing while sharing a series of three satellite images as evidence.

The photograph displays roughly 300 standard 20-foot sea transport containers stacked at North Korea’s Rajin Port on Sep. 7. These containers were subsequently transported to Russia by both sea and train. On Oct. 1, further images revealed the same containers being transported to an ammunition depot in Tikhoretsk, located approximately 290 kilometers from the Ukrainian border in southwestern Russia. It is well-documented that Tikhoretsk serves as a critical supply hub for various resources required in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

On Sunday, Voice of America (VOA) reported that a 110-meter-long vessel was observed adjacent to a sizable crane used for container movement in a satellite image of Rajin Port taken on Friday by the private satellite imagery company ‘Planet Labs.’ VOA noted that the first of these large vessels had docked on Aug. 26, and within a span of 14 days from that date, four ships over 100 meters in length had anchored at the port.

It has been reported that South Korea, the U.S., and Japan plan to discuss sanctions and collaborative responses in their trilateral talks regarding North Korea’s nuclear weapons, taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday and Tuesday. Given Russia’s status as a permanent member with veto power on the UN Security Council, it is increasingly probable that the three countries will pursue independent sanctions that align with their allies rather than seeking Security Council-level sanctions to address North Korea-Russia military cooperation in the future. In fact, on Sept. 21, the government had already designated North Korean individuals and organizations involved in arms trade between North Korea and Russia as subjects of independent sanctions against North Korea.


pep@donga.com