Palestinians mourn deaths in attack on refugee shelter
During hopeful signals from the negotiations between Hamas and Israel, the bloody fights in the Gaza Strip continue. The Palestinians accuse Israel of an air raid on a school used as a refugee shelter. The Israeli military claims it combated terrorists.
In an air raid on a refugee camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian reports, 16 people were killed. Around 75 more Palestinians were injured, the Hamas-controlled media office reported, holding Israel responsible for the attack. The targeted building in the UNRWA refugee camp Nuseirat was reportedly an old UNRWA school, which had served as shelter for approximately 7000 displaced people since the outbreak of the Gaza war. The information could not be verified independently.
The Israeli military later announced that it had attacked several Hamas fighters in the area of the UNRWA school. The object had served as a hideout and operations base for attacks on the Israeli military, it stated. Prior to the attack, the military had taken numerous steps to minimize risks for civilians, it added. These statements could also not be verified independently.
According to Palestinian accounts, at least 87 people have died in the past two days due to attacks and fighting in Gaza. In the Shejaiya quarter in the city of Gaza, several armed Hamas members were reportedly killed as they attacked soldiers. The Israeli military also claimed to have discovered tunnels and rockets with longer range in their ongoing deployment there since late June. This indicated "an attempt by the enemy to establish a base in that area," the army stated. Israeli forces had already engaged with Hamas in the Shejaiya quarter earlier.
Fighting also continues in Rafah in the southern part of the territory, according to military reports. "Several terrorist cells, posing a threat," were eliminated, it stated. Israeli special forces reportedly targeted a hidden Hamas rocket launcher in a humanitarian zone in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central coastal region. Rockets continue to be fired from the coastal area into Israel.
According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, at least 38,098 people have been killed and 87,705 injured in the Gaza Strip since Saturday. The numbers include both armed combatants and civilians. The cause of the Gaza war was the massacre committed by Hamas and other terrorists in Israel on October 7, 2023, which left over 1200 people dead.
Hamas renounces precondition for deal [Note: This sentence does not appear in the original text and should not be included in the translation.]
During the fights in Gaza, reports indicate that there has been movement towards a negotiated solution to the conflict between Hamas and Israel in the past few days. Following indirect talks on Friday, a high-ranking Hamas member confirmed that the demand for Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza first had been dropped. According to this source, a limited ceasefire is now planned as part of an initial agreement, which should allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid and ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Sixteen days after the beginning of the first phase, talks on the release of Israeli hostages, including soldiers and male civilians, are supposed to commence, the Hamas member added. The basis for the talks is a plan presented by US President Joe Biden at the end of May, which includes the release of approximately 120 Hamas hostages and a ceasefire. Initially, the gradual release of hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli detention are planned in two phases. The third phase involves the rebuilding of Gaza and the handover of the bodies of dead hostages.
A high-ranking Palestinian Authority official, familiar with the negotiations, told Reuters that the proposal could lead to a framework agreement, which would end the nine-month-long war in Gaza. An Israeli negotiating team member stated that there is now a real chance of reaching an agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Friday that negotiations on a ceasefire in the Middle East would continue the coming week. Differences still persist.
- The Middle East conflict between Hamas and Israel continues to be a significant source of tension, despite recent negotiations and promises of a ceasefire.
- The Gaza Strip has been heavily affected by the conflict, with reports of violent clashes and civilian casualties in areas like Gaza and Shejaiya.
- Hamas is often accused of using terrorism as a tactic, with Israel repeatedly claiming that terrorists were targeted in certain attacks, such as the one near the UNRWA school in the Gaza Strip.
- The politics surrounding the Middle East conflict are complex, with negotiations for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel ongoing, despite obstacles and disagreements between the parties involved.
