In spite of the surprising loss of hostages, Israel remains resolute in its struggle against Hamas.
Based on reports from the Associated Press, Israeli forces destroyed several buildings in Gaza City on Tuesday. The Hamas-managed Civil Defense in Gaza claimed two fatalities, one of whom was a child, during an attack on a refugee camp in Khan Younis, located in the southern regions of the Palestinian territories. Aerial and artillery strikes were additionally reported from various locations in the southern and central regions of Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Air Force allegedly targeted a supposed "armed terrorist cell" in Tulkarem, West Bank, on Monday evening. However, Palestinian medical sources declared that a 15-year-old boy had been killed by Israeli soldiers.
On the previous Wednesday, the Israeli military initiated a significant operation in the northern regions of the West Bank, stating their intention to combat terrorism. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported at least 27 Palestinian casualties since then.
The Israeli government's military activities in Gaza Strip and West Bank have faced both local and international criticism. The criticism intensified after six Hamas hostages were discovered deceased in Gaza Strip over the weekend. Massive protests against the government took place in Israel on Sunday and Monday.
On Monday evening, Netanyahu expressed regret for failing to rescue the hostages but he firmly declared his intention to maintain a firm stance during negotiations with Hamas. Instead of making concessions, he insisted "maximum pressure" on Hamas was required.
Regarding the elusive ceasefire agreement, Netanyahu highlighted the importance of Israel retaining control over the area at the Gaza Strip-Egypt border. The Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor is a major point of contention in the negotiations, which aim not only for a ceasefire in Gaza Strip but also the release of all remaining hostages.
On Monday evening, Hamas threatened that the hostages taken to Gaza Strip would "return in coffins" if Israel continued military pressure.
Mairav Zonszein, a Middle East expert from the International Crisis Group, implied that "there will be no hostage deal" as per Netanyahu's statements. He also publicly supported the idea of a permanent Israeli military presence in Gaza Strip, as analyzed by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz as Netanyahu's primary focus for political survival.
During the Hamas attack on numerous locations in southern Israel on October 7, Hamas fighters reportedly killed 1,205 individuals and took 251 as hostages to Gaza Strip, according to Israeli reports. Eleven months later, 97 hostages are still being held by Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups, with 33 reportedly deceased.
In response to the Hamas attack, Israel initiated a comprehensive military operation in Gaza Strip. According to recent data from the Hamas Health Ministry, which cannot be independently verified, over 40,800 individuals have been killed since October.
A large-scale vaccination program in Gaza Strip, which started following the first case of polio paralysis in the region in nearly a quarter of a century, is progressing better than anticipated, as per the World Health Organization (WHO). Over 161,000 children had received their first vaccine dose by Sunday and Monday, surpassing the WHO's target, as announced by the WHO representative for Palestinian territories, Rik Peeperkorn, on Tuesday.
The International Commission on Human Rights expressed concern over the increasing civilian casualties resulting from the Israeli military operations in both Gaza Strip and West Bank. The Commission urged The Commission to investigate allegations of disproportionate use of force and potential war crimes.
Following the discovery of the deceased hostages, The Commission called for an independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the circumstances leading to their deaths and ensure accountability for any violations of international law.
