Protesters in Tel Aviv, Israel, utilized megaphones during a demonstration on October 27, 2024, to call for a ceasefire agreement and the immediate release of hostages taken during the fatal October 7, 2023, assault by Hamas. — Reuters
Israeli forces initiated lethal strikes on Lebanon and Gaza on Monday, intensifying their campaign against militant groups following Egypt's president's proposal for a two-day truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Neither Israel nor Hamas has commented on the plan presented by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi on Sunday, but Israeli media reports indicate that spy chief David Barnea is in Qatar for renewed discussions on a hostage release agreement. Over a year since the war began when Hamas launched its most devastating attack in Israel's history on October 7, 2023, the violence shows no signs of abating. The Lebanese health ministry reported at least five fatalities when Israel targeted the Tyre city center. An AFP journalist witnessed an entire apartment block reduced to smoldering rubble. The ministry labeled the death toll as 'provisional' as rescue workers scrambled to extract more survivors from the collapsed building. Hezbollah claimed its fighters had retaliated against Israeli forces along the border with rockets and artillery. Last month, Israel escalated its air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds across Lebanon and initiated ground operations, following a year of low-intensity exchanges and cross-border Hezbollah attacks that the Lebanese group asserts were in support of Hamas. In Gaza, where Israel's year-long military campaign has decimated Hamas's leadership while resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and a humanitarian catastrophe, rescuers reported fresh strikes on Monday. The Palestinian Red Crescent stated that three individuals were killed in a drone attack on Gaza City, while the civil defense agency and an AFP correspondent documented additional air strikes and shelling in other northern and central areas of the territory. The Israeli military confirmed it had targeted north Gaza's Jabalia—the focal point of an ongoing extensive assault since early October—and 'eliminated dozens of terrorists through ground and aerial operations'. As Israel continued its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, a top Iranian general warned of 'bitter consequences' following Saturday's attack on military sites. Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami, quoted by Tasnim news agency, stated that the Israeli air raid had failed, characterizing it as a sign of 'miscalculation and helplessness'. 'Its bitter consequences will be unimaginable' for Israel, Salami cautioned. After numerous unsuccessful mediation attempts to halt the war, Egypt's Sisi proposed a two-day pause in Gaza and a limited hostage and prisoner exchange, aimed at ultimately securing a 'complete ceasefire' between Hamas and Israel. The proposal involves exchanging four Israeli hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, to be followed by further negotiations within 10 days, according to Sisi. He did not specify whether the plan had been formally presented to either Israel or Hamas. Of the 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the October 7 attack, 97 remain held in Gaza, including 34 whom the Israeli military claims are deceased. Over 100 were released during a one-week truce in November. Families of hostages have urged the Israeli government to negotiate an agreement following the recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Key issues impeding progress in talks include Hamas's demand for Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza, which Israeli officials have consistently rejected. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant acknowledged on Sunday that 'painful concessions' would be necessary in negotiations, emphasizing that military action alone would not achieve the country's objectives. Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas's October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 individuals, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures, which includes hostages killed in captivity. At least 42,924 Palestinians, the majority of whom are civilians, have perished in the Israeli offensive on Gaza, according to figures from the Hamas-ruled territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN.
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