Israeli attack on Gaza: 40 more Palestinians killed
At least 40 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the besieged Gaza Strip. More than half of them were killed in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
On Monday, Israeli warplanes bombed three houses in Rafah and two in northern Gaza City.
Palestinian health officials said at least six people were killed and several wounded in the Gaza City attack.
Three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Monday night. Medical workers and Hamas-controlled media reported that a journalist was among the dead.
Six more people were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes in other parts of Gaza.
The Israeli military said on Monday that two Israeli soldiers were killed in central Gaza on Sunday.
The armed wing of Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas, said it had fired rockets at Israel on Monday.
This indicates that the group still has the ability to fire rockets despite almost seven months of continuous Israeli air and ground attacks on Gaza.
About half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have taken refuge in Rafah. The city was once declared a ‘safe area’ by the Israeli forces. World leaders have urged Israel not to attack the city.
In response to Reuters’ questions about the attack in Rafah, an Israeli military (IDF) spokesman said the warplanes had hit terrorist targets operating from civilian areas in southern Gaza. But he did not give further details.
Meanwhile, Hamas leaders headed to Egypt to renegotiate the ceasefire deal have left Cairo. Al Jazeera and TRT World reported that the talks offered Hamas a 40-day ceasefire. However, Hamas has already been demanding a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
On the other hand, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called the cease-fire proposed by Israel in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages a “uniquely generous” proposal. At the same time, he called on Hamas to accept it quickly. However, Hamas leaders said they are reviewing the proposal.