Israeli warplanes and artillery attacked the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of at least eight people, according to Palestinian medics. The strikes occurred shortly after Israel and Hamas missed a deadline for a ceasefire that was hoped to pave the way for ending one of the most devastating conflicts in the Middle East in years.
The delay in implementing the ceasefire and the ensuing violence came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an hour before the 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) deadline, demanded that Hamas provide the names of three hostages it was to release on Sunday as part of the agreement.
Hamas stated that it remained committed to the ceasefire but had been unable to provide the hostage list due to “technical field reasons,” without providing further details.
The ceasefire deal aimed to usher in an end to the Gaza war, which began after the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls the coastal territory, attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel’s response has severely impacted the Gaza Strip, with nearly 47,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza-based health authorities. The war has also ignited a broader confrontation throughout the Middle East between Israel and Iran, which backs Hamas and other anti-Israeli paramilitary forces across the region.
Israeli military spokespeople stated on Sunday that their aircraft and artillery had attacked “terror targets” in northern and central Gaza. They emphasized that military operations would continue as long as Hamas failed to meet its obligations under the ceasefire.
The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service reported that at least eight people were killed in the Israeli attacks, with dozens more wounded. Medics reported tank fire in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City, as well as airstrikes and tank fire targeting the northern town of Beit Hanoun, causing residents who had returned in anticipation of the ceasefire to flee once again.
An air raid siren that sounded in the Sderot area of southern Israel was a false alarm, according to the Israeli military.
In the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, celebratory gunshots and cheers were heard at 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) when the ceasefire was initially expected to take effect.
Pro-Hamas media reported early on Sunday that Israeli forces had begun withdrawing from areas in Gaza’s Rafah to the Philadelphi Route along the border between Egypt and Gaza.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s demand for a list of the first three hostages, who were to be released following the ceasefire, came an hour before the deadline. “The prime minister instructed the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) that the ceasefire, which is supposed to go into effect at 8:30 a.m., will not begin until Israel has the list of released abductees that Hamas has pledged to provide,” his office said.
Hamas described the delay as “technical” but indicated that the hostages’ names could be released very soon.
The three-stage ceasefire agreement followed months of on-off negotiations brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, and came just ahead of the January 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
The first three hostages, all women, are expected to be released through the Red Cross on Sunday. In return for each hostage, 30 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails are to be released.
Under the terms of the deal, Hamas will inform the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of the meeting point inside Gaza. The ICRC is expected to head to the location to collect the hostages, an official involved in the process told Reuters.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
