The Israeli army told AFP that three of its soldiers were killed and 12 injured on Sunday by rockets fired by the armed wing of Hamas around Kerem Shalom, the main crossing point for humanitarian aid from Israel to the Gaza strip.
The Ezzedine al-Qassam brigades claimed responsibility for the fire, which led Israel to close the crossing used to deliver aid to Gaza. The Israeli military reported Monday morning on X having intercepted a “enemy drone flying towards Israel“.
A few hours later, 16 people from two families were killed in Israeli strikes which targeted two houses in Rafah and its surroundings, AFP learned from rescue workers and a hospital Source.
Rescuers reported nine deaths in the Al Attar family and seven others in the Keshta family. A hospital Source confirmed the results of the two Israeli strikes on Sunday evening.in the Yebna refugee camp in Rafah and around Al Salam“.
After a stop in Cairo, according to American media, the head of American intelligence William Burns is expected Monday in Qatar, the main mediating country, according to a Source close to the negotiations. According to Egyptian media, the Hamas delegation is due to return to Cairo on Tuesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Sunday that Israel cannot “accept» the demands of the Islamist movement, which is calling for a definitive ceasefire in the Palestinian territory prior to any agreement, in particular on the release of the hostages kidnapped on October 7 in Israel.
Benjamin Netanyahu still threatens to launch an offensive on the overcrowded town of Rafah, on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, “with or without» truce agreement.
Read also: Gaza: new Israeli strikes, against a backdrop of resumption of discussions on a truce
“I tell world leaders that no pressure, no decision from an international body will prevent Israel from defending itself“, he said during a Holocaust commemoration ceremony in Jerusalem.
“If Israel must stand alone, Israel will stand alone“, insisted the Israeli Prime Minister, while denouncing the “terrible volcano of anti-Semitism» which is sweeping across the world against Israel.
He also announced his government’s decision to close the office in Israel of the Al-Jazeera channel, based in Qatar, whose signal was cut.
Al-Jazeera, which has given extensive coverage to the war in Gaza, denounced a decision “criminal“.
Meeting “emergency»
Hamas leader Ismaïl Haniyeh, based in Qatar, had previously accused Netanyahu of “sabotage the efforts of mediators» with a view to a truce, while discussions continued in Cairo in the absence of Israel.
The offer from the mediator countries, Qatar, Egypt and the United States, presented to Hamas at the end of April, provides for a truce associated with the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
A Hamas official said Sunday that the movement would not accept “in no case an agreement that does not explicitly provide for an end to the war“.
The delegation, which left for Doha on Sunday evening for consultations, according to a Hamas official, must return to Egypt on Tuesday.to complete the negotiations», indicated a media close to Egyptian intelligence, Al-Qahera News.
After a stop in Cairo, according to American media, the director of the CIA also left for Qatar, announced a Source close to the negotiations.
“In the absence of progress» during the discussions in Cairo, Burns must have a “emergency meeting with the Prime Minister» of the emirate, Sheikh Mohammed ben Abdelrahmane Al Thani, «to discuss ways to get the talks back on track”, according to this Source.
Pressure from hostage families
The war broke out on October 7 when Hamas commandos infiltrated from Gaza launched an unprecedented attack in southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mainly civilians, according to an AFP report. established from official Israeli data.
During the attack, more than 250 people were kidnapped and 128 remain captive in Gaza, 35 of whom died, according to the army.
On Sunday, the Hostage Families Forum once again called on Netanyahu to accept a deal that would allow the hostages to be released.
“Netanyahu, history will not forgive you if you miss this opportunity», affirms this text.
The Israeli offensive launched in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the October 7 attack has so far left 34,683 dead, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health, which on Sunday counted 29 dead in 24 hours.
Gaza City in the north was bombed, as well as the center and south of the territory, including Rafah and the neighboring town of Khan Yunis.
“At this time yesterday, we were very optimistic and we were waiting for the announcement of a ceasefire. Today we are on edge», Testified to AFP a 59-year-old resident of Rafah, Najat Shaat.
To achieve the “final victory» and free the hostages, Benjamin Netanyahu continues to proclaim that he will launch a ground offensive on Rafah, where according to Israel four Hamas battalions are grouped.
This border town with Egypt has become the final refuge for hundreds of thousands of civilians who have fled the war further north. According to the World Health Organization, 1.2 million Palestinians are still massed there, or half of the territory’s population.
A “real famine»
Many capitals, including Washington, and humanitarian organizations fear heavy civilian losses in the event of an offensive on the city.
Rafah is also the main land crossing point for humanitarian aid, strictly controlled by Israel which is besieging the territory. An offensive would be a “hard blow” to humanitarian operations, the UN warned.
The director of the UN World Food Program, Cindy McCain, was alarmed to see the northern Gaza Strip hit by a “real famine», which progresses towards the south.
In the midst of a humanitarian crisis, relations between Israel and the UN agency responsible for aiding Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) have worsened since Israel accused a dozen of the agency’s 13,000 employees in Gaza of having participated in the attack of October 7.
UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini announced on Sunday that Israel had for the second time banned him from entering the Gaza Strip.
By Le360 (with AFP)
05/06/2024 at 6:19 a.m.
