Israel continues attacks in the Gaza Strip and on the border with Lebanon
The radical Islamist Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip announced that at least 87 people have been killed in the past 48 hours. On Saturday, medical personnel reported ten deaths following an air raid in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp in the center of the Gaza Strip.
According to Hamas, four journalists working for local media were among the casualties in the nighttime attacks. The UN Refugee Agency UNRWA reported the deaths of two of its employees.
In northern Israel, sirens wailed on Saturday morning. The army stated that they had intercepted a "suspicious aerial target" and shot down two aircraft launched from Lebanon. Previously, the Military had announced that they had attacked "terror targets of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon" near the Israeli border. Since the beginning of the Gaza War, fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed and Hamas-aligned Hezbollah militia in Lebanon has significantly increased.
Following the latest round of negotiations on Friday for a ceasefire and hostage release, led by Israel's intelligence chief David Barnea with intermediaries in Doha, the spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saw "gaps" between the parties. "It was agreed that Israeli negotiators will travel to Doha next week to continue the talks," he added.
A high-ranking US official stated on Thursday that a new Hamas proposal could advance the process and serve as the foundation for the conclusion of the agreement, although "significant work" still needed to be done.
The Hamas itself declared that it expected a quick response from Israel to its new ideas to end the war - "probably today or tomorrow early." At the same time, Hamas functionary Osama Hamdan emphasized that the military wing of Hamas was "in good condition" to continue the war.
Except for a one-week firebreak in November that facilitated the release of 80 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners, there has been no ceasefire since the brutal Hamas attack on Israel in early October, which was sparked by the Gazan Strip. The ongoing negotiations, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, have so far been unsuccessful.
In May, US President Joe Biden proposed a plan for an "immediate and complete" ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Hamas, which includes the withdrawal of the Israeli army from populated areas in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
- The border between Israel and the Gaza Strip has been a focal point of recent tensions, with frequent attacks from Hamas.
- The BMG (Border Guard Police) in South Lebanon has been on highest alert due to the increased tensions with Hezbollah in the area.
- The Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza City has been a frequent target of air attacks during the ongoing conflict.
- The UN Refugee Agency (UNRWA) has expressed concern over the safety of its personnel and the refugee population in the Gaza Strip.5.Harakat el-Mukawame el-Islamije, a militant group affiliated with Hamas, has claimed responsibility for several attacks on Israeli targets.
- Qatar, a mediator in the ongoing negotiations, has played a crucial role in seeking a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Doha.
- The Israeli military has launched multiple air attacks on what it calls "terror targets" in Shujaiya, part of its response to the recent escalation of violence.
- The death toll from the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip has surpassed 100, with civilians, including children, making up a majority of the casualties.
- The Institute for Middle Eastern Democracies in Jerusalem has called for international pressure on Hamas to comply with the ceasefire and end the attacks from Gaza.
- The Gaza Strip, a densely populated region, has become a warzone once again, with the Rafah crossing effectively closed to the movement of people and goods.
