Israel’s defense chief has said the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip is focused on the southern city of Khan Younis, and warned it will take months to achieve the Israeli government’s stated goal of destroying the Palestinian militant group. But there was rising hope Wednesday that cease-fire talks could soon be back underway, as Hamas’ top political leader arrived in Egypt and Israel indicated it was willing to negotiate another pause in the fighting in exchange for Hamas freeing more hostages.
Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ top leader based at its political office in Qatar, arrived Wednesday in Cairo to meet Egypt’s spy chief for a discussion on the “aggression in the Gaza Strip and other matters,” according to a statement released by Hamas.
Hope for a new Israel-Hamas cease-fire
The Washington Post reported, meanwhile, that Israel was considering a pause in the fighting that could be extended for up to two weeks as it looks to enter the next, more focused phase of its war with Hamas, which was sparked by the militant group’s brutal Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of the roughly 130 hostages still believed to be captive in Gaza on Tuesday that he’d twice sent the head of the Mossad spy agency to Europe for discussions intended to “free our hostages.” The head of Mossad met in Poland Monday with CIA chief William Burns, among other officials.
“It’s our duty, I’m responsible for the release of all the hostages,” Netanyahu told the families on Tuesday, calling the hostages’ rescue “a supreme task” and vowing that he would “spare no effort on the subject, and our duty is to bring them all back.”
Pressure mounts as Gaza death toll soars
But with the discussions in Cairo just getting underway, despite mounting pressure from the international community — including a vote looming later Wednesday in the U.N. Security Council, which could, if the U.S. doesn’t block it again, pass a binding resolution calling for a new halt in the fighting — the prospects for and timing of any new cease-fire remained uncertain.
On the ground in Gaza, meanwhile, the war was still very much on. In the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israel was focusing its battle against Hamas, there was gut-wrenching grief after yet another Israeli missile strike.
The number of Palestinians killed across Gaza since the war started was very near 20,000 on Wednesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, including hundreds killed over the past few days alone.
Israel insists it is targeting only terrorists, and it accuses Hamas of hiding weapons and fighters in densely-packed civilian neighborhoods, but as the bombs rain down, no one, of any age, is safe. The dead and injured have continued to flood the last functioning hospitals in the south of the Palestinian territory.
“I lost two grandchildren,” said Suzan Zourob as she carried the body of an infant. She said the baby was killed in a strike before the new-born’s birth could even be registered.
IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA /REUTERS
“What crime have our children done to deserve to be killed?” begged Umm Walid al-Azayza amid the rubble of another Israeli strike on the nearby city of Rafah. “The house fell on us. What is our crime?”
Israel’s military said Wednesday that it struck more than “300 terror targets” in the previous day alone across Gaza, as the war continued into its 75th day.
BASSAM MASOUD/REUTERS
The Israel Defense Forces have said their goal is to dismantle and destroy Hamas, but that rescuing the remaining hostages is also a priority.
Two of the 129 captives still believed to be in Gaza appeared in a new proof-of-life video released late Tuesday by Hamas’ ally, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. It was the second such video released by Palestinian militants in two days, intensifying pressure on Israel to strike a new deal amid rising fear that its military campaign is putting the captives’ lives in danger.
Israel’s defense chief has stated that the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip is focused on the city of Khan Younis and warned that it will take months to achieve the Israeli government’s goal of destroying the Palestinian militant group. However, there is hope that cease-fire talks could resume as Hamas’ top political leader arrived in Egypt and Israel indicated its willingness to negotiate another pause in the fighting in exchange for the release of more hostages by Hamas.
Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ top leader based in Qatar, arrived in Cairo for discussions on the aggression in Gaza. The Washington Post reported that Israel is considering a pause in the fighting that could last up to two weeks as it enters a more focused phase of its war with Hamas. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has assured the families of the hostages that he is working to secure their release.
Pressure is mounting from the international community for a new cease-fire, with a vote scheduled in the U.N. Security Council. However, the timing and prospects for a new cease-fire remain uncertain. The war in Gaza continues, with Israeli airstrikes targeting terror targets and Hamas accused of hiding weapons and fighters in civilian areas. The death toll in Gaza is nearing 20,000, with hundreds killed in recent days.
The Israel Defense Forces’ goal is to dismantle and destroy Hamas, but rescuing the remaining hostages is also a priority. Two captives appeared in a proof-of-life video released by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, increasing pressure on Israel to reach a new deal to ensure the safety of the hostages.
Overall, the situation in Gaza remains dire, with a high death toll and ongoing conflict. However, there is hope for new cease-fire talks as key leaders gather for discussions.