Israeli airstrikes throughout Gaza claimed numerous lives overnight, while clashes continued on Sunday in the southern region of the besieged territory. Hamas was considering a proposal to cease the nearly four-month-long conflict.
Israeli strikes across Gaza killed scores overnight, and battles raged Sunday in the besieged territory’s south as Hamas was reviewing a proposal for a halt in the nearly four-month-long war.
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné was in Egypt, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected in the region in the coming days to push for a ceasefire and hostage release.
The health ministry in the besieged territory said at least 127 people were killed in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours in the Gaza Strip, more than 90 of them overnight.
Israel has warned its ground forces could advance on Rafah as part of its campaign to eliminate Hamas.
‘Hitting Them Hard’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the army had “destroyed 17 of 24 (Hamas) battalions. Most of the remaining battalions are in the southern Strip and in Rafah, and we will deal with them.”
With the war set to enter a fifth month on Wednesday, international mediators were pressing to seal a proposed truce deal thrashed out in a Paris meeting of top US, Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials.
Séjourné, at the start of his first Middle East tour as foreign minister, said on social media that he had told Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of France’s desire “for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and restarting talks for a… two-state solution.”
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A top Hamas official in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan, said Saturday the group needed more time to “announce our position” on the truce deal.
Hamdan added that Hamas wanted “to put an end to the aggression that our people are suffering as quickly as possible.”
A Hamas source has said the proposal involves an initial six-week pause that would see more aid delivered into Gaza and the phased release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Gaza Rendered ‘Unlivable’
Gazans have faced dire humanitarian conditions, and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on social media platform X that “there is very limited access to clean water and sanitation amid relentless bombardment.”
Experts and rights groups told AFP that Israeli forces have destroyed buildings near the border in an attempt to create a buffer zone inside the Palestinian territory.
Israel has not publicly confirmed the plan, which Nadia Hardman, an expert on refugees at Human Rights Watch, said “may amount to a war crime.”
France’s Séjourné told his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry that he understood Cairo’s concerns over a “forced displacement” of Palestinians into Egypt from the Gaza Strip.
‘Turmoil’ Across Region
Concern for hostages still in Gaza and security failures surrounding the October 7 attack—the deadliest in Israel’s 75-year history—have led to criticism of Netanyahu and rallies against the government.
Michal Hadas, protesting in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, told AFP she feared Israel’s leaders were dragging out the conflict for political reasons, “because as long as the war continues there will be no election.”
The war has also sent regional tensions soaring, with a surge in attacks by Iran-backed groups in solidarity with Gaza triggering counterattacks by the United States, Israel’s key ally.
The United States and its partner the UK said they struck dozens of targets in Yemen late Saturday in response to repeated attacks on shipping by Iran-backed Houthis.
Iran said the attacks “contradicted” US and UK statements on preventing regional escalation, and Hamas warned the strikes would bring “further turmoil” to the Middle East.
Human Toll
About 1,160 Israelis, mostly civilians, are reported to have died according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
At least 27,365 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israel’s assault, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP
