Israeli forces engaged in clashes with Hamas-led fighters across various regions of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, with Palestinian health officials reporting at least 17 fatalities resulting from Israeli airstrikes in southern and central areas.
The Palestinian Islamist militant group, Hamas, has accused Israel of intensifying its attacks in Gaza to undermine efforts by Arab mediators and the United States to broker a ceasefire. Israel maintains that its actions are aimed at eliminating Hamas fighters. In Rafah, a southern border city where Israeli forces have been active since May, an airstrike on a house resulted in the death of five Palestinians. In nearby Khan Younis, a family of four was killed.
In the historic Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, at least four Palestinians were killed in separate shelling and aerial strikes, according to medics. An Israeli airstrike also killed four in Sheikh Zayed in northern Gaza. The Israeli military stated that its troops continued "intelligence-based" operations in Rafah, targeting militants, tunnels, and other Hamas military infrastructure. The air force reportedly struck around 40 targets across the enclave, including sniping and observation posts, military structures, and buildings rigged with explosives.
The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, a Hamas ally, claimed their fighters had retaliated by attacking Israeli forces in several locations with anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs. Islamic Jihad's armed wing announced it had fired missiles at Sderot in southern Israel, with no reports of deaths or serious damage.
Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas following the group's militants' attack on southern Israeli communities last October 7, which according to Israeli counts, resulted in 1,200 deaths and the capture of 250 hostages. Over 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive, according to Gaza health authorities, with much of the region left in ruins. Israel also reports 326 of its soldiers killed in Gaza.
Relatives gathered at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza to bid farewell to loved ones before funerals. "This is so unfair, the number of martyrs, every minute there is a martyr," lamented elderly Palestinian Sahar Abu Emeira. "We’re exhausted, we’re devastated, we are extremely tired, our patience is over. Whether Hamas or the others (Israel) they need to agree as soon as possible."
Efforts by Egypt and Qatar to mediate an end to the conflict and secure the release of hostages, as well as Palestinians held in Israeli jails, had shown some progress, according to negotiators. However, the talks stalled after three days of intense negotiations failed to yield a viable outcome, and following an Israeli strike targeting Hamas' top military chief, Mohammed Deif, which resulted in over 90 deaths and hundreds wounded in the Khan Younis area.
A Palestinian official close to the negotiations revealed that Hamas was eager to avoid being perceived as halting the talks despite intensified Israeli attacks. "Hamas wants the war to end, not at any price. It says it has shown the flexibility needed and is pushing the mediators to get Israel to reciprocate," the official stated. Hamas believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to avoid a deal by imposing additional conditions that restrict the return of displaced people to northern Gaza and maintain control over the Rafah border with Egypt.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated on Monday that two senior advisers to Netanyahu had confirmed Israel's commitment to reaching a ceasefire.
