Situation at a glance - More dead in fighting in the Gaza Strip
During the Gaza War, indirect negotiations about a ceasefire and hostage release are entering the next round, while the bleeding continues in the sealed coastal region. According to media reports, dozens of civilians were killed in a air strike on Khan Younis in the south. The Israeli military is investigating reports that a Hamas terrorist, allegedly involved in the massacre on October 7 in Israel, was the target, wrote the "Times of Israel".
According to the health authority controlled by the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army attacked a school in Khan Younis. At least 25 people - according to other reports, 29 - were killed there. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that refugees were in the school building. Several were injured. None of these reports could be independently verified at first.
According to the Israeli military, a jet fired "precision-guided munitions" at the Hamas terrorist during the attack, as reported by the "Times of Israel" and the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz". The target of the attack was reportedly near the school in eastern Khan Younis. The military had called for the evacuation of the area in the past week, it was further reported. Social media reportedly spread images showing bleeding casualties being treated in a hospital. Children are also visible.
Negotiations continue in the next round
Meanwhile, indirect negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release in the hands of Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons are expected to continue today in Doha, after talks in Cairo took place earlier. Egyptian reports of significant progress were prematurely leaked, cited Channel 12, a high-ranking Israeli source. The negotiations are described as "difficult and complex". However, efforts are being made to achieve a breakthrough.
Israel's delegation is led by the head of the foreign intelligence service Mossad, David Barnea, the head of the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, and the military's chief of staff, Nitzan Alon, according to Israeli media. They plan to meet CIA Chief Bill Burns, the head of the Egyptian intelligence service Abbas Kamel, and the Minister President and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The US, Egypt, and Qatar are mediating between Israel and Hamas.
The catalyst for the Gaza War was the unprecedented massacre with over 1,200 deaths, committed by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups in Israel on October 7, 2023. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, over 38,200 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war. The number, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, cannot be independently verified at this time. The Israeli army continues to target areas in several regions, according to its own statements.
Israeli military has been in action in the heavily damaged city of Gaza in the northern coastal region for several days. Soldiers have clashed with terror cells and eliminated over 150 terrorists, the military announced. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, six people were killed in an attack on a building in the city. A child was reportedly rescued alive. The statements of both parties could not be verified independently at first.
Israeli military: No evacuation of hospitals in combat areas
Israeli military denied reports by the Palestinian news agency Wafa that soldiers had forced doctors of Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza to close the clinic. While civilians were called upon to leave combat areas as a precautionary measure, hospitals and medical facilities were not included in the call. The military informed representatives of the Palestinian healthcare system that there was no need to evacuate hospitals.
Meanwhile, the violent conflict between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia continues. In response to a deadly rocket attack on the northern Golan Heights, Israel's Air Force reportedly targeted Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. According to the Israeli military's evening statement, the area from which the rockets were allegedly fired was hit. The Hisbollah had claimed responsibility for the attack on the Golan Heights in the evening. They had fired dozens of rockets at a military base in retaliation for an Israeli attack. Hours earlier, a reported Israeli drone strike on a car near the Syrian-Lebanese border had killed a former bodyguard of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have been engaging in near-daily battles since the start of the Gaza War. The intensity of the fighting has recently increased significantly. There were casualties on both sides. It is feared that the conflict could spread further. The Hezbollah claims to be acting "in solidarity" with Hamas.
Civilian Casualties in the Libanon Conflict
The victims were reportedly civilians. The Hisbollah had claimed responsibility for the attack on the Golan Heights in the evening. They had fired dozens of rockets at a military base in retaliation for an Israeli attack. Hours earlier, a reported Israeli drone strike on a car near the Syrian-Lebanese border had killed a former bodyguard of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have been engaging in near-daily battles since the start of the Gaza War. The intensity of the fighting has recently increased significantly. There were casualties on both sides. It is feared that the conflict could spread further. The Hisbollah claims to be acting "in solidarity" with Hamas.
- The renewed negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release in Doha involve the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, as reported by the Times of Israel.
- Despite ongoing indirect talks in Doha, the Israeli military continues to target areas in the Gaza Strip, as stated in Haaretz reports.
- Qatar, along with Egypt and the US, is playing a crucial role in facilitating negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with Qatar's Minister President and Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, participating.
- The alleged target of an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis is a Hamas terrorist linked to the massacre in Israel on October 7, according to the Israeli military and various news outlets.
- The Palestinian health authority in the Gaza Strip claims that a school was hit in the attack, leading to the death of at least 25 civilians, including children.
- In response to accusations of forced hospital closures in Gaza, the Israeli military denies any evacuation orders for medical facilities, insisting that civilians are the only ones called upon to leave combat areas as a precaution.
- The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon escalates as both sides trade attacks, resulting in civilian casualties, according to news agencies.
- The Israel Defense Forces reportedly targeted Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon following a rocket attack on the Golan Heights, with both sides sustaining casualties.
- The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is closely intertwined with the ongoing Gaza War, as the Iran-backed militia claims to act "in solidarity" with Hamas.
- Indirect ceasefire negotiations have stalled, and there is growing concern that the turmoil in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and other Palestinian territories may continue to escalate, further destabilizing the region.
