Israel carried out devastating air strikes on Gaza on Thursday while signaling its willingness to resume stalled truce and hostage release negotiations with Hamas, according to Vanguard. The conflict, which erupted on October 7, shows no sign of abating.
The Gaza Strip’s civil defense agency reported that two pre-dawn air strikes killed 26 people, including 15 children, in Gaza City. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal stated that one strike hit a family house in the Al-Daraj area, killing 16 people, while another strike killed 10 people in a mosque compound. The Israeli military has yet to comment on these reports.
Fierce street battles continued in Gaza’s Jabalia and Rafah, with Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad claiming to have launched mortar attacks on Israeli troops.
International pressure on Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a ceasefire has intensified, with three European countries announcing their intention to recognize a Palestinian state on Wednesday. Earlier this week, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his defense minister, and three Hamas leaders on war crimes charges.
Israel has vehemently opposed these actions, expressing “disgust” at the ICC’s request and condemning any recognition of Palestinian statehood as a “reward for terrorism.” Senior foreign ministry official Jacob Blitstein warned the envoys of Ireland, Norway, and Spain on Thursday that recognizing the State of Palestine next week would have “serious consequences” for their relations with Israel.
Domestically, pressure on Netanyahu has also grown, with supporters of hostages trapped in Gaza rallying outside his office, demanding a deal to bring them home. A recently released video showed five female Israeli soldiers, tied up and some with bloodied faces, in the hands of Palestinian militants during an attack more than seven months ago.
Israel Willingness for Truce Negotiations.
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