Sunday , December 8 2024

48 people killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, women and children also among those killed

Gaza, 23 February (HS). At least 48 people, half of them women and children, were killed in overnight Israeli strikes in southern and central Gaza. Health officials gave this information on Thursday. At the same time, European foreign ministers and UN agencies called for a ceasefire amid growing concerns over the humanitarian crisis and the possibility of starvation in the region.

Tensions are also rising in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where three Palestinian gunmen opened fire on vehicles passing through a checkpoint on a highway Thursday morning, killing one person and wounding five others, Israeli police said. Have become.

An Israeli official said late on Wednesday night that new efforts are underway regarding a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The official said only the agreement could stop the war in Gaza and help secure the release of about 130 Israeli hostages held by the militants following the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.

About a week ago, the ongoing negotiations regarding the agreement had come to a halt, but this statement from Israel has brought a new hope for a ceasefire.

At the same time, former military chief and Defense Minister Benny Gantz reiterated his resolve that if Hamas does not release the remaining hostages, Israel will launch a ground attack on Gaza's southern city of Rafah during the month of Ramadan starting around March 10.