Palestinians flee Rafah due to an Israeli military operation, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Rafah, in the southern Gza Strip, June 7, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
In the context of stalled efforts to establish a renewed ceasefire in the eight-month-long conflict in Gaza, Israel has intensified its bombardment of central and southern regions, resulting in the deaths of at least 28 Palestinians. Tank forces have also advanced to the western outskirts of Rafah.
Mediators from Qatar and Egypt, supported by the United States, have made renewed attempts to reconcile conflicting demands that hinder the cessation of hostilities. These demands include the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, as well as ensuring an unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, sources close to the negotiations report no signs of a breakthrough.
A month after initiating an assault on Rafah to target Hamas’ remaining combat units, Israeli tank-led forces have progressed to the southwestern fringes of the city near the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt. Residents report that tanks are positioned in the al-Izba district close to the Mediterranean coast, and that snipers have taken over some buildings and high ground, effectively trapping residents in their homes. Israeli machinegun fire has rendered it too dangerous for people to venture outside.
Health officials in Gaza stated that two Palestinians were killed and several were injured in western Rafah due to tank shelling. In central Gaza, medical sources reported that at least 15 people were killed overnight in Israeli airstrikes.
One Palestinian resident told Reuters via a chat app that they believe the Israeli forces are attempting to reach the beach area of Rafah. The overnight raids and bombings were described as tactical, with forces entering under heavy fire and then retreating.
In Khan Younis, just north of Rafah, an Israeli airstrike on a house resulted in the deaths of eight people and injuries to several others, including children, according to medical personnel. In northern Gaza, three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school building in Gaza City that was sheltering displaced families, according to rescue workers. The Israeli military stated that Hamas gunmen operating from a container inside the school premises were the target, similar to an airstrike on a U.N. school building in al-Nuseirat in central Gaza the previous day. Medics reported that the earlier strike killed 40 people, including 14 children. Israel claimed the strike killed many of the 20-30 militants concealed in the compound, which was sheltering approximately 6,000 displaced people, according to the U.N.
The impasse over the ceasefire persists. Israel’s military attributes the high civilian death toll in Gaza to Hamas’ use of densely populated neighborhoods, schools, and hospitals as cover, which Hamas denies. U.N. and humanitarian officials accuse Israel of using disproportionate force, a charge that Israel also denies.
On Friday, Hamas reported that militants in Deir al-Balah shelled a house where Israeli troops were barricaded, resulting in casualties. Helicopters were reportedly seen extracting the stricken Israeli unit. The Israeli military reported continued operations in the al-Bureij refugee camp and Deir al-Balah, claiming to have killed “dozens” of militants and destroyed more infrastructure.
Israel has dismissed the possibility of peace until Hamas is eradicated, while much of Gaza lies in ruins. Despite Israel’s assertions of having defeated militants in various areas, Hamas has demonstrated resilience, with fighters reemerging in previously contested regions.
The conflict was initiated by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel from Gaza on October 7, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the capture of over 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Since then, Israel’s invasion and bombardment of Gaza have led to at least 36,731 Palestinian deaths, including 77 in the past 24 hours, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry. Thousands more are believed to be buried under rubble, and most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are displaced.
Attempts to broker a ceasefire have repeatedly failed since a brief truce in November. Hamas demands a permanent end to the conflict and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel is only willing to consider temporary pauses in hostilities until Hamas is eradicated and Gaza no longer poses a security threat.
The most recent indirect negotiations began on Wednesday, with CIA Director William Burns meeting senior officials from Qatar and Egypt in Doha to discuss a proposal endorsed by U.S. President Joe Biden. Biden described the three-phase plan as an Israeli initiative.
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