People navigate through the debris of destroyed buildings at a temporary camp for displaced Palestinians in the Nahr Al Bared area of Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip, on December 9, 2024. — AFP
Israeli strikes throughout the Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of at least 19 Palestinians overnight and on Tuesday, according to medical personnel. Simultaneously, Israeli tanks advanced into central and southern regions of the territory. Overnight, an Israeli airstrike claimed the lives of at least 10 individuals in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, where Israeli forces have been active since October. The attack also injured dozens in a multi-story building, as reported by medical staff. Another airstrike on a residence in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza claimed seven lives and injured several others, according to medics and the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service. Additionally, two people were killed in Rafah, south of the enclave.
In Deir Al Balah city, central Gaza, Israeli naval forces apprehended six Palestinian fishermen who attempted to sail into the Mediterranean Sea earlier on Tuesday, according to local residents. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday that he would not halt the war in Gaza "now," despite ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire. Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, 14 months into the conflict against Hamas, he stated, "If we end the war now, Hamas will return, recover, rebuild, and attack us again — and that is what we do not want to go back to." Netanyahu reiterated his goal of "the annihilation of Hamas, the elimination of its military and administrative capabilities" to prevent future attacks, but acknowledged that this objective was not yet complete.
Children gather around a fire at a temporary camp for displaced Palestinians in the Nahr Al Bared area of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on December 9, 2024. — AFP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on October 23 that Israel had "managed to dismantle Hamas's military capacity" and eliminated its senior leadership. With these achievements, he suggested it was time to "get the hostages home and bring the war to an end with an understanding of what will follow." Recent days have shown signs that months of failed ceasefire and hostage release negotiations might be revived and achieve a breakthrough. Qatar, a key mediator, noted on Saturday that new "momentum" for negotiations was created by the election of Donald Trump in the United States. A source close to the Hamas delegation also mentioned that Turkey, as well as Egypt and Qatar, had been "making commendable efforts to stop the war," and a new round of talks could commence soon. On Sunday, the prime minister met with the families of hostages held in Gaza and stated that Israel's wars on Hezbollah and Hamas would facilitate negotiations for their release. Protesters, including relatives of the hostages, have repeatedly demanded a deal to free the captives and accused him of prolonging the war.
The conflict in Gaza was initiated by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data. During the attack, militants also kidnapped 251 hostages, 96 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 who the military claims are deceased. Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has claimed the lives of at least 44,758 people, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry, which is considered reliable by the UN.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
