On Thursday, Israeli troops escalated their attacks on multiple locations across the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of at least 13 people, according to residents and health officials. In the town of Zawayda, central Gaza, an Israeli air raid claimed the lives of six locals and another two lives were lost following an assault on a residence in Bureij camp. A further three casualties were reported in Deir Al-Balah, a city filled with evacuees originating from different parts of Gaza, due to an air raid.
In the northern city of Gaza, medics reported that another two Palestinians lost their lives due to a subsequent air strike. The Israeli Defence Force revealed that, via two Gaza City air strikes, two influential military figures from the extremist group, Islamic Jihad, had been killed. One of these figures was claimed to have been involved in the attack on southern Israel on October 7, which acted as the catalyst for the war in Gaza.
In Rafah, located in the south, citizens reported a stronger presence of Israeli tanks, particularly in the city’s west, where they occupied a hilltop. The Israeli military claimed to have found multiple tunnels and eliminated several armed insurgents. The militant wing of Hamas, in conjunction with other allied factions, announced their retaliatory actions, which involved launching mortar bombs at Israeli troops situated southwest of Rafah.
Following heavy clashes in areas further north, Rafah had provided refuge for over a million scared citizens. However, the majority have since been displaced due to Israel initiating an offensive in and around the city in May. The local Red Cross field hospital in Rafah, equipped with only 60 beds, has been overwhelmed to near full capacity, reported the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC expressed concern about the immense strain placed on all health facilities across southern Gaza, due to recurring mass casualty events.
Despite having fought for more than nine months, Palestinian combatants, predominantly led by Hamas, continue to enact assaults on Israeli troops by deploying anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs. Rocket attacks on Israel are also occasionally launched.
Israel has pledged to eliminate Hamas after its militants committed an attack on October 7th, resulting in the death of 1,200 individuals and taking over 250 captive, as documented by Israeli records. According to the health authorities in Gaza, the post-attack counteroffensive by Israel has led to more than 38,000 Palestinian casualties.
Israel had proclaimed on Tuesday that it had successfully wiped out half of the Hamas military wing’s leadership, along with killing or capturing about 14,000 of its combatants since the inception of the war. In these operations, Israel has reported the deaths of 326 soldiers on its side.
Arab mediators’ diplomatic negotiation attempts for achieving peace have, to date, been sidelined, albeit all parties, including both Israel and Hamas, have expressed their willingness to continue discussions. The goal of a potential agreement would be to bring the war to an end, release Israeli hostages in Gaza, and in return, free numerous Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Hamas is currently awaiting Israel’s reaction to a proposed ceasefire brokered by the United States, based on suggestions made by the US President, Joe Biden, as disclosed by a Palestinian representative involved in the mediation process. According to the representative: “Hamas suspects that the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, is deliberately delaying the process and may not respond until his visit to the United States next week.”