Israel continued pounding Gaza targets yesterday killing dozens of Palestinians as negotiations towards a peace deal edged towards an agreement. Today a peace deal was finally agreed.
At least 24 Palestinians were killed in bombing runs from Tuesday into Wednesday, including two women and four children. One of the women was pregnant and her baby died as well. Fresh attacks came as Israel and Hamas appeared to be closing on a ceasefire deal to end the 15-month war and release dozens of hostages.
Two Israeli officials claimed Hamas had accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages. An Israeli official said progress had been made but the details are being finalized, with Hamas reportedly holding back on finally signing.
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people and abducted around 250. A third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be dead. The Israel Hamas-war has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
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The countdown to peace between Israel and Hamas during their missile exchanges is usually punctuated with outbreaks of violence. One source said: “As we get closer to a deal usually the air-strikes increase in intensity and the rocket fire follows suit as both side tries to gain leverage. “Even when and if a deadline for a ceasefire is declared, the hours before it are likely to be pretty high in violence and casualties.”
In the West Bank, the Health Ministry said at least six people were killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Jenin refugee camp late Tuesday. The Israeli military confirmed a drone strike in the area but gave no further details. Israel has carried out months of raids in the camp in what it calls a crackdown against militants.
In the Gaza Strip, the bodies of 11 people were brought to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after a strike smashed into a house in Deir al-Balah, officials at the hospital said. Another strike killed six people in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp and wounded seven more, according to Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. Some of the dead were brought to the hospital in pieces, medical officials said. Among those wounded was Khaled Rayan, the head of the nursing department at the hospital.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel says it only targets militants and accuses them of hiding among civilians. Earlier Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 18 people, including two women and four children, according to local health officials, who said one woman was pregnant and the baby died as well.
Thousands of Israelis gathered Tuesday night in Tel Aviv’s “hostages square” in anticipation of a ceasefire deal, with some singing and playing music on a stage. But some demonstrators in Jerusalem chanted, “You don’t make a deal with the devil,” a reference to the Hamas militant group that attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Hadas Kalderon, whose ex-husband Ofer and two children were abducted by Hamas, said: “It’s a very critical moment, it can be the happiest moment but it can be also the worst.” Nearly 100 people are still captive inside Gaza, and the Israeli military believes at least a third are dead. Her son and daughter were released in a weeklong ceasefire in November but Ofer is still there.
She said her kid have struggled since their release, worrying about their wounded father’s health. A few hundred people rallied in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, holding signs saying: “Why are they still there?” and chanting to bring the hostages home now.
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