The Israeli military reported that airstrikes targeted approximately 40 locations across Gaza in the last 24 hours, coming after Hamas declined a ceasefire proposal that it claimed did not meet its request for a complete cessation of hostilities.
Earlier reports from Gaza’s civil defense agency indicated that two overnight Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals, including ten members of the same family.
Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense, stated on Telegram that “our rescue teams retrieved the bodies of ten martyrs along with numerous injured individuals from the residence of the Baraka family and neighboring buildings struck by the Israeli occupation forces in the Bani Suhaila region east of Khan Yunis,” located in southern Gaza.
Later, Mr. Bassal informed that another strike impacted two homes in the northern Gaza area of Tal al-Zaatar, where teams had “recovered the bodies of five individuals.”
The military noted that troops were engaged in operations in the Shabura and Tel Al-Sultan regions close to the southern city of Rafah, and in northern Gaza, where they have gained control over extensive territories east of Gaza City.
Efforts by Egyptian mediators to restore the ceasefire agreement from January, which collapsed when Israel resumed airstrikes and redeployed ground forces to Gaza, have not shown significant progress toward resolving the core issues between the two parties.
Khalil Al-Hayya, a high-ranking official in Hamas, expressed last night that the Palestinian militant group seeks a comprehensive agreement to end the conflict in Gaza and to exchange all Israeli hostages for Palestinians incarcerated in Israel.
However, he criticized an Israeli offer that required Hamas to disarm as placing “impossible conditions” on negotiations.
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Although Israel has not formally addressed Mr. Al-Hayya’s statements, government officials have consistently asserted that Hamas must be fully disarmed and will not have a role in Gaza’s future governance.
The ceasefire proposal relayed through Egyptian intermediaries includes discussions regarding a conclusive arrangement for the war, though it lacks a definitive agreement.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also mentioned this week that military forces would remain in the buffer zone along the border, which now extends deep into Gaza and effectively divides the enclave, even after any potential resolution.
