As the fighting in the Palestinian territories continued, Israel continued to pound the Gaza Strip from the air, the sea, and land. Hamas had announced that it was ending the cease-fire negotiations.
The Israeli army reportedly shelled the Al-Mughraqa neighborhood and the northern edges of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to eyewitnesses. AFP correspondents said that shells fell on the neighborhoods of Tal Al-Hawa, Sheikh Ajlin, and Al-Sabra in Gaza City.
Palestinian Red Crescent paramedics reported that following Israeli airstrikes on the Al-Maghazi camp, located in the central Gaza Strip, they had recovered the dead of five individuals, including three youngsters.
Witnesses reported shelling and Apache helicopter raids in the western parts of the southernmost city of Rafah, as well as Israeli gunship fire east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
In a statement, the Israeli military stated that it was still operating throughout the coastal region and that it had carried out airstrikes and raids across the strip over the previous day, martyring “a number” of militants in Rafah and central Gaza.
It added that targets in Gaza had been hit by its naval forces.
The constant barrage coincided with decreasing chances of a truce and hostage release agreement being reached anytime soon.
Israel has been at war with Hamas, an Islamist organization supported by Iran, in Gaza for more than nine months. On Sunday, Hamas announced its withdrawal from the cease-fire negotiations.
The decision was made in response to an Israeli strike that claimed 92 lives and targeted Mohammed Deif, the leader of Hamas’ armed branch in Gaza, according to the health ministry there.
Although a senior Hamas source told AFP that Deif was “well and directly overseeing” operations, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stated there was “no certainty” that Deif was martyred. Deif’s whereabouts are still unclear.
Following the attack on Al-Mawasi, a second senior militant official justified the suspension of discussions by pointing to Israeli “massacres” and its stance on talks.
However, the source claims that Haniyeh informed international mediators that Hamas was “ready to resume negotiations” as soon as Israel’s leadership “demonstrates seriousness in reaching a ceasefire agreement and a prisoner exchange deal”.
At a NATO conference last week, US President Joe Biden hinted that an agreement might be imminent by stating that both parties had accepted a framework he had proposed in late May.
Accusing the US of enabling “genocide” by arming Israel with “internationally banned” weaponry, Hamas unleashed a furious attack on the US on Monday.