Herzog defends Israeli counteroffensive in Gaza: ‘We are very targeted in what we do’

Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog on Sunday pushed back on criticism that Israel's counteroffensive against militant group Hamas in Gaza is not "strategic" enough, arguing Israeli forces are "very targeted in what we do."

Pressed by Fox News anchor Shannon Bream about the long-term impacts of Israel's destruction in Gaza, Herzog said, "I take issue with this criticism. We are very targeted in what we do, and people have to understand Gaza is the biggest terror complex around the globe with over 500 kilometers of terror tunnels."

Israel has come under fierce criticism from some humanitarian leaders, who are calling for a cease-fire amid the rising death toll of civilians in Gaza. Fighting has raged in the Hamas-ruled enclave for over a month since the militant group launched a bloody incursion into Israel on Oct. 7 that left about 1,200 people dead, including hundreds of civilians.

Israel quickly responded with a bombardment of Gaza, sending hundreds of air strikes into the region along with a recent ground invasion into Gaza City, where Hamas is believed to be primarily operating from. Over 11,070 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war broke out last month, according to the Health Ministry.

Some have argued Israel's targeting of Hamas militants has not been precise enough, as thousands of civilians continue to get killed or hurt in the violence.

Herzog defended the Israeli forces' counteroffensive, stressing the need to remove Hamas, which is recognized by the U.S. and several other countries as a terrorist organization.

"You have tens of thousands of combatants, and we have to fight them, and we have to remove the Hamas threat from Israel," Herzog said Sunday. "It's very complicated because Hamas turned them into human shields, but we are not targeting the population."

"Herzog pointed to Israel's repeated warnings to civilians to move south ahead of the recent ground invasion in northern Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of civilians reportedly have fled their homes, taking refuge in schools-turned-shelters or overcrowded hospitals alongside thousands of wounded patients.

"I believe that what we see today we more and more people moving to the south indicates to us that these peoples do not want to serve as human shields for Hamas," Herzog said. "They understand they don't like us, but they don't like Hamas either."

Amid growing pressure from humanitarian leaders, Israel agreed last week to four-hour pauses in military operations in the Gaza Strip to allow for the evacuation of civilians from the conflict zone. Claiming the pauses have "proven very effective," Herzog said civilians are getting advance notice they can replenish themselves and get medical treatment ahead of these pauses.