The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, jointly claimed responsibility for a bombing in Tel Aviv on Sunday night.
“The martyrdom operations inside the occupied territories will return to the forefront as long as the occupations massacres, displacement of civilians, and the continuation of the policy of assassinations continue,” the Qassam Brigades said in a statement.
The Israeli police described the bombing as a “hostile operation” and said the perpetrator had apparently arrived from the Nablus area in the West Bank. Israeli Channel 12 reported that the Israeli Internal Security Service (Shabak) is investigating the perpetrator’s background and how he entered Tel Aviv.
The bombing comes amidst an ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip said that Israeli forces had committed three massacres in the past 24 hours, resulting in 40 deaths and 134 injuries arriving at hospitals.
The ministry said that at least 40,139 Palestinians have been killed and 92,743 injured since the beginning of the Israeli offensive on Gaza on October 7.
Egypt, Qatar, and the US-mediated negotiations for a ceasefire continue. However, Hamas has condemned Israel’s Decision to increase the intensity of fighting in the Gaza Strip, arguing that this move is an attempt to improve the Israeli position in negotiations for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
Hamas Political Bureau member Izzat Al-Rishq said in a statement that Israel’s decision is “a renewed insistence on their fascist approach against our people in the Gaza Strip and an insistence on their brutal behaviour in targeting defenceless civilians.” He continued, “This decision puts the entire world before the reality of this criminal Zionist-Nazi entity that is thirsty for killing and terrorism.”
Israel’s decision to intensify fighting was reported by the Walla website, citing unnamed political sources. The website said that the Israeli cabinet recently instructed the army to increase the intensity of the fighting in Gaza to improve Israel’s Position in negotiations.
Despite the escalation, US President Joe Biden said a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is still possible. However, he added that Hamas has announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set new conditions for the ceasefire and prisoner exchange proposal.
