Israel-Hamas Update: Intense Fighting, Failed Ceasefire Talks, and Growing Hunger Crisis in Gaza
Image Credits: Mint
The Shejaia neighborhood, located in northern Gaza, was advanced into by Israeli forces on Sunday, while the military had also pushed further into western and central Rafah in the south. According to residents, at least six Palestinians have been killed, with several being displaced from their homes. They also added that Israeli tanks fired shells towards several houses, which left families displaced inside the crumbling remains and unable to leave.
Israeli forces had moved into Shejaia four days ago and announced on Saturday that two Israeli soldiers had died in northern Gaza. They have also claimed that their operations over the past day killed several Palestinian gunmen, located weapons, and struck military infrastructure. It has also been reported by the armed wing of Hamas and allied Islamic Jihad that fierce fighting in Shejaia and Rafah is ongoing, and they claim that their forces had fired anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs at the Israeli military.
Eight months into the war, efforts to obtain a ceasefire seem to have reaped no fruit. Arab mediators, backed by the United States, have failed to secure a deal so far. The situation appears grim amongst both Hamas and Israel, who are yet to reach a common consensus on demands and compromises. Israel says it will only temporarily pause fighting in Gaza until Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007, is eradicated.
Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said on Saturday that there has been no progress in ceasefire talks. Hamdan told a news conference in Beirut that the group is ready to accept any deal that would allow for the total end of the war in Gaza. He also referred to a potential swap of hostages in Gaza for Palestinian captives held by the Israeli military. “Once again, Hamas is ready to deal positively with any proposal that secures a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal from Gaza Strip and a serious swap deal,” Hamdan says.
In Rafah, near the border of Egypt, Israeli tanks are reported to be pushing deeper into several districts in the east, west and centre of the city including the area around the local market, and there has been heavy fire from air and ground. Israeli forces accuse Hamas of using civilian compounds as operational areas, which Hamas denies. Israeli leaders had also claimed this week that the “intense phase” of fighting in Gaza is soon coming to an end, following which there would be fighting on a smaller scale that would be aimed at preventing Hamas from reassembling in the area.
The military says that their current operations in Rafah are meant to eradicate the last armed battalion of Hamas, while their operations have killed several Palestinians, and displaced families living in the far western edge of the city, forcing them to move northwards. Other forces would be deployed at the Israel-Lebanon border, where fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah has been escalating since Oct. 7.
Meanwhile, the pier built by the US military to allow for aid to move into Gaza has been suspended until further notice due to weather conditions, and they do not consider reinstalling it until aid begins flowing towards the population again, according to US officials. Aid agencies have also found difficulty in distributing food to areas that actually require it as humanitarian convoys have recently come under attack.
The UN, which has the widest reach in terms of aid delivery to Palestinians, has paused their operations since June 9. The pause came after Israel’s military had used an area near the pier to fly hostages out in their resumed raid that killed 270 Palestinians, which raised concerns around the safety of aid workers in the area. Israeli restrictions on border crossings, which would allow for easier supply of aid and emergency supplies as compared to sea routes, have severely impacted Palestinians alongside attacks on aid convoys. Palestinians suffer from widespread hunger owing to such deliberate blockage of resources.
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