The Palestinian health ministry has stated that two Palestinians, including a child, were killed in raids by Israeli forces on the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank. This followed the death of another Palestinian as a result of a night-time operation by Israel in the Tulkarm refugee camp. Israeli forces argue that they are targeting what they identify as “terrorist infrastructure” within Nur Shams.
The WAFA Palestinian news agency has reported that a large fleet of Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers moved into the city heading towards the Nur Shams refugee camp. The Al Quds Brigades, the military segment of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claims to have intercepted this movement by detonating a potent explosive inside a military bulldozer in order to obstruct the operation by the Israeli forces.
Earlier in the week, a staggering total of 93 casualties or missing persons were reported following an Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip. This was succeeded by further airstrikes that resulted in at least 30 additional fatalities on the next day. Israeli forces have focused their offensive on Northern Gaza, where they allege they had disassembled the command structure of Hamas, a militant group, earlier in the year. To eliminate any reassembled Hamas fighters, Israel propelled tanks into Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia.
In related news, the prime minister of Lebanon is hopeful about establishing a ceasefire with Israel in the coming days, a stance supported by Naim Qassem, the newly appointed leader of Hezbollah, who suggests the militant group could consider a truce under certain conditions. However, Qassem maintained that Israel had not yet agreed to any discussable proposal and that the group, backed by Iran, would continue their resistance until acceptable conditions were presented. He communicated these statements in a clandestinely filmed televised address, stating, “We will not beg for a ceasefire.”.
Meanwhile, the security cabinet in Israel met to contemplate a potential ceasefire. Information sourced from Reuters and The Guardian. Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024.