The war between Israel and Hamas, which began its 58th on Sundaye The day was triggered by a bloody and unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on Israeli soil from the Gaza Strip on October 7th.
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According to Israel, 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in this attack and around 240 people were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip, where Hamas took power in 2007.
There are 137 hostages who remain detained after numerous releases during a seven-day ceasefire that broke down on December 1.
In retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack, Israel has vowed to “destroy” Hamas and is carrying out heavy bombing raids on the small Palestinian territory that its army invaded on Oct. 27.
According to a recent Hamas government report, more than 15,500 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began, “70% of them women and children.”
Here are the latest developments:
The White House believes so‘Israel “strives” to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza
The White House said on Sunday that Israel has been making “efforts” to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza since fighting resumed following a seven-day ceasefire, at a time when calls from the international community to protect Palestinian civilians are growing become louder.
“We believe they were receptive to our messages about minimizing civilian casualties,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told ABC.
The Israeli army has resumed its offensive in the northern Gaza Strip “in a smaller and more precise way,” he added, noting that in the last two days Israel had published a map online showing where civilians could surrender to find refuge and flee the fighting.
“There aren’t many modern armies that would do that,” Mr. Kirby continued. “They try hard.”
Continued Israeli attacks
“Israeli Air Force fighter jets and helicopters attacked terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip overnight, including tunnel shafts, command centers and military storage sites for terrorists. Weapons,” the Israeli army said on Sunday, confirming that one of its drones had “eliminated five Hamas terrorists.”
Fatal blow
At least seven people were killed in a dawn attack on Sunday in the Rafah area on the southern tip of the Gaza Strip near the border with Egypt, the Hamas government said.
“Forced transfer”
For the NGO Norwegian Refugee Council, the Israeli army’s evacuation orders directed at residents of certain sectors of the Gaza Strip “amount to a forced relocation of the population without guarantees of safety or return.”
Evacuations
According to the United Nations Humanitarian Aid Coordination Agency (OCHA), around 880 foreigners and dual nationals, as well as 13 wounded people, were evacuated from the Gaza Strip to Egypt on Saturday through the Rafah border crossing, the only one not controlled by Israel.
“Limited” humanitarian aid
The Palestinian Red Crescent said on Saturday that it had “received aid trucks” through the Rafah border crossing, the first since the end of the ceasefire.
However, OCHA regretted the “limited” assistance.
“Stalemate” in the ceasefire negotiations
The Israeli prime minister’s office announced that Israeli negotiators who continued talks on a ceasefire in Qatar, believing the dialogue was “at an impasse”, had returned to Israel.