Israel Escalates Attacks in Gaza During Ceasefire Negotiations
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Synopsis
Israeli forces have intensified their strikes on Gaza, hitting around 50 locations amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations. The attacks have resulted in significant casualties and destruction, as mediators work towards an agreement aimed at ending the violence and securing hostage releases.
Key Takeaways
- Israeli forces have escalated airstrikes in Gaza.
- Approximately 50 locations were targeted since early Wednesday.
- The airstrikes aimed at militants and military infrastructure.
- Casualties include women and children among the dead.
- Negotiations for a ceasefire are ongoing in Doha.
Jerusalem/Gaza, Jan 15 (NationPress) Israeli forces have escalated their offensive in Gaza, executing strikes on around 50 locations since the early hours of Wednesday, as reported by Israeli officials.
In a coordinated announcement, the Israeli Shin Bet domestic security agency alongside the military disclosed that the airstrikes were aimed at militants, munitions depots, subterranean infrastructure, anti-tank firing positions, and Hamas military installations.
Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Civil Defence Authority in Gaza, noted that the authority has recovered the remains of seven individuals and rescued numerous injured persons following an Israeli airstrike that hit the Al-Farabi School with at least one missile. He mentioned that the school, situated in the Yarmouk region west of Gaza City, was sheltering displaced families.
The Israeli statement affirmed the airstrike, claiming it targeted a militant of significant importance who was concealed within the building, which they identified as a command and control center for operations against Israeli forces in Gaza.
Hussam Al-Daqran, the spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Hospital, reported that 15 Palestinians, which included women and children, lost their lives in Israeli airstrikes that targeted two residences in Deir al-Balah, located in the central Gaza Strip, as per Xinhua news agency.
Additionally, three Palestinians were killed due to an Israeli airstrike on a family home in the Bureij refugee camp situated in the central Gaza Strip, Al-Daqran added.
Moreover, Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat camp announced in a press release that six individuals were killed and five others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house within the camp.
In the southern Gazan city of Rafah, Israeli aircraft targeted a residence and two gatherings, according to local sources.
The airstrikes took place while Qatari, Egyptian, and American mediators were engaged in discussions with Israeli and Hamas representatives in Doha to finalize a ceasefire-for-hostage arrangement. This proposed agreement seeks to conclude over 15 months of a devastating Israeli campaign that has resulted in the deaths of more than 46,700 Palestinians and severely impacted Gaza, while also securing the release of approximately 100 hostages held in the enclave.
