The Israeli occupation army intensified its airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing hundreds, including a significant number of children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. One strike targeted a United Nations facility, killing one person and injuring five others, including foreign nationals, who were transported to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza.
Despite the ongoing bombardment, Hamas emphasized that it has not closed the door to negotiations. A senior Hamas official urged mediators to press Israel to honor an existing ceasefire agreement.
“Hamas has not shut down negotiations, and there is no need for new agreements since one has already been signed by all parties,” said Taher al-Nunu, media advisor to the head of Hamas’s political bureau. He called on mediators and the international community to “compel the occupation to halt its aggression, implement the ceasefire, and move to the second phase” of the truce that began in January.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the renewed strikes, stating they were “just the beginning” and claiming that Hamas had “rejected all proposals.” He asserted that military pressure is essential to securing the release of Israeli hostages and vowed to continue operations until “the threat posed by Hamas is eliminated.”
The Israeli occupation army also issued evacuation orders for several areas in northern and southern Gaza, urging residents of Beit Hanoun, Khirbet Khuza’a, Abasan al-Kabira, and al-Jadidah to move westward toward Gaza City and Khan Yunis.
On the diplomatic front, Egypt proposed a new ceasefire plan on Tuesday, which sources described as a potential compromise between conflicting demands. The proposal seeks middle ground between a Hamas-approved plan—calling for the release of American-Israeli soldier Alexander Idan and five bodies—and a US-backed proposal requiring the release of half of all living hostages and half of the bodies held by Hamas.
