CAIRO – On Tuesday, Israeli forces engaged in intense battles with Hamas fighters in multiple locations across Gaza, leading to at least 13 deaths due to Israeli airstrikes, according to Palestinian health officials.
In the southern border city of Rafah, five Palestinians lost their lives in an airstrike on a residential house. Nearby in Khan Younis, an airstrike killed a man, his wife, and their two children. Central Gaza’s Nuseirat, one of the region’s historic refugee camps, saw at least four additional deaths from separate shelling and aerial attacks, as reported by local medics. Additionally, Israeli tanks bombed the southern sector of Gaza City earlier in the day, residents stated.
The Israeli military confirmed ongoing “intelligence-based” operations in Rafah, resulting in the elimination of numerous Palestinian gunmen over the past 24 hours. The military claimed that their airstrikes targeted militants, tunnels, and other Hamas military infrastructure. Furthermore, the Israeli air force reportedly struck approximately 40 targets across Gaza, including sniping and observation posts, military structures, and buildings rigged with explosives.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad, in separate statements, announced that their fighters had attacked Israeli forces at several locations using anti-tank rockets and mortar fire. Israel has pledged to eradicate Hamas following the group’s October 7 attack, which Israeli authorities report resulted in 120 deaths and over 250 hostages taken.
In the nine-month conflict, Gaza’s health authority reports over 38,000 Palestinian fatalities, without distinguishing between combatants and civilians, though officials claim most of the deceased are civilians. Israel reports losing 326 soldiers and estimates that at least one-third of the Palestinian fatalities are fighters.
Mediation Efforts Stalled
Efforts led by Egypt and Qatar to end the conflict and secure the release of hostages and Palestinians held in Israeli jails had shown some promise, according to negotiators. However, these talks stalled on Saturday after three days of intensive negotiations failed to yield a resolution. The impasse followed an Israeli strike targeting Hamas’ top military chief, Mohammed Deif, resulting in over 90 deaths and hundreds of injuries in the Khan Younis area, as per Gaza health authorities.
A Palestinian official involved in the talks, who requested anonymity, stated that Hamas does not wish to halt the negotiations despite increased Israeli attacks. “Hamas wants the war to end, but not at any price. They believe they have shown the necessary flexibility and are urging mediators to get Israel to respond in kind,” the official said.
Hamas contends that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is adding conditions to avoid a deal, including restricting the return of displaced individuals to northern Gaza and maintaining control over Rafah’s borders with Egypt—terms Hamas finds unacceptable.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller mentioned on Monday that two senior advisers to Netanyahu have affirmed Israel’s commitment to achieving a ceasefire.
According to a United Nations Environment Programme report, shared by the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA on social media, it is estimated that clearing approximately 40 million tons of war debris in Gaza will take 15 years, requiring over 100 trucks and costing more than $500 million.
