Israeli Attacks on Gaza Kill 18 as Ceasefire and Hostage Release Hopes Increase

Health officials reported on Tuesday that at least 18 people, including six women and four children, were killed overnight by Israeli bombings in the Gaza Strip. This development comes as a truce deal between Israel and Hamas appears to be within reach, potentially ending the 15-month conflict and facilitating the release of numerous hostages.

After over a year of stalled negotiations, officials have expressed growing optimism that an agreement could be finalized in the coming days.

Meanwhile, a missile launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen struck central Israel, triggering sirens and sending residents scrambling for shelter. Police released a photo of a missile casing that collided with a roof and reported damage to several homes near Jerusalem, though no casualties were recorded.

Despair in Gaza

Two women and their four children, aged one month to nine years, were killed in two airstrikes in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the victims’ bodies, reported that one of the women was pregnant and that her unborn child did not survive.

While the Israeli military has not commented on these strikes, it maintains that its operations target militants, whom it accuses of using civilians as shields in shelters and camps for displaced people.

Ceasefire Negotiations and Pressures

Ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, Israel and Hamas face mounting international pressure to end the conflict. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, recently joined U.S., Egyptian, and Qatari mediators in Doha to press for a ceasefire agreement.

The proposed agreement is based on a framework introduced by President Joe Biden in May and endorsed by the U.N. Security Council.

Details of the Phased Agreement

  1. First Phase:
  • Hamas would release dozens of vulnerable hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
  • Israel would withdraw from populated areas and release Palestinian prisoners.
  • Some Palestinians would return to their homes, and humanitarian aid would be significantly increased.
  1. Second Phase:
  • Hamas would release the remaining hostages in exchange for a greater number of prisoners, a full Israeli withdrawal, and a sustained ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until Hamas’ military and political infrastructure is dismantled and no longer poses a threat. Negotiations on the second phase would take place during the first phase.

Humanitarian Impact and Casualties

During the Oct. 7 raid, Hamas-led militants killed nearly 1,200 people and abducted another 250. Israeli military estimates suggest that about half of the 100 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has claimed over 46,000 Palestinian lives, with Gaza’s Health Ministry reporting that more than half of the victims were women and children. The Israeli military claims to have killed over 17,000 Hamas fighters but has not provided evidence to support this figure.

The offensive has devastated Gaza, displacing about 90% of its 2.3 million residents. Hundreds of thousands now live in overcrowded tent camps along the coast, facing widespread hunger and deprivation.

Regional Ripple Effects

The conflict has exacerbated tensions throughout the region, including more than a year of fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants, which ended with a tenuous ceasefire in November. Iran, a supporter of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, has also engaged in exchanges of fire with Israel.

Houthi Missile Attacks

The Israeli military reported intercepting a missile launched early Tuesday by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. A similar missile launched earlier was also intercepted.

  • The Houthis, who seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, have conducted multiple missile and drone attacks on Israel and international vessels in the Red Sea. While most targeted ships are unrelated to the conflict, the Houthis claim their actions are in solidarity with the Palestinians.
Israeli Attacks on Gaza Kill 18
Israeli Attacks on Gaza Kill 18

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Source : apnews

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