- विज्ञापन -
Israeli gunfire and airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 21 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, according to local health authorities. In an effort to end the ongoing conflict, mediators reached out to Israel and Hamas to restart ceasefire negotiations.
Local health officials reported that an Israeli airstrike killed at least nine people at a school in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, where displaced families were staying. Another airstrike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza also claimed nine lives. Additionally, three people were killed by Israeli gunfire, and dozens were injured while crowds gathered along a main route in central Gaza, waiting for U.N. aid trucks—highlighting ongoing fatalities at aid distribution sites.
The Israeli military has yet to comment on these incidents. Israel states its goal is to eliminate Hamas militants, which attacked southern Israel from Gaza in 2023, and to free hostages still held by the group.
Meanwhile, Arab mediators Egypt and Qatar, with backing from the United States, are mediating between the parties in an attempt to resume ceasefire talks. No specific timeline has been set for these negotiations, according to Hamas sources.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading a coalition with far-right parties, insists that Hamas, which has governed Gaza for nearly 20 years, must free all hostages, renounce any role in violence, and lay down arms for the conflict to end.
Hamas, on the other hand, has stated it would release hostages if Israel agrees to a long-term ceasefire and withdraws from Gaza. While Hamas has indicated it will no longer govern Gaza, it remains unwilling to discuss disarmament.
Since Hamas launched its attack on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, Israel has conducted a large-scale military response. The retaliatory campaign has claimed the lives of over 56,000 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across the coastal strip.
Most of the hostages released so far have been freed through indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel.
