Israeli forces intensify operations in southern Gaza, kill 20 Hamas terrorists in Rafah
Israel has mostly sealed off the territory since launching an operation in Rafah, on the border with Egypt, in May. Israel controls all transfer points into and out of Gaza and has only allowed a small number of patients to leave for treatment.
Israel-Hamas war: Israeli military operations in southern Gaza have intensified, with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) eliminating 20 terrorists in Rafah over the past 24 hours. According to the IDF, these terrorists posed a significant threat and were neutralised through a coordinated effort involving both airstrikes and ground operations. Additionally, the IDF dismantled a structure that housed a tunnel shaft used for terrorist activities.
In Khan Yunis, Israeli troops, supported by aircraft, targeted and eliminated several terrorists inside a Hamas weapons storage facility. This action was part of ongoing operations aimed at disrupting Hamas’s military capabilities, as per the Israel Defence Forces. Separately, an airstrike successfully targeted and killed a key figure associated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who was responsible for launching projectiles at Israeli forces and territory.
Israeli forces strike Hamas targets
In central Gaza, Israeli forces eliminated a Hamas squad and dismantled a weapons storage facility. Over the past day, the Air Force destroyed more than 30 Hamas targets, including structures rigged with explosives, weapons storage facilities and underground infrastructure. At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 111 remaining hostages, 39 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.
Israel-Hamas war: Mediators hold cease-fire talks
It should be mentioned here that International mediators were set to hold a new round of talks Thursday aimed at halting the Israel-Hamas war and securing the release of scores of hostages, with a potential deal seen as the best hope of heading off an even larger regional conflict. The United States, Qatar and Egypt were to meet with an Israeli delegation in Qatar as the Palestinian death toll from the 10-month-old war nears 40,000. Hamas has not said whether it will participate, accusing Israel of adding new demands to an evolving proposal that had US and international support.
(With inputs from AP)
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