Israel intensifies bombings against Gaza after rejecting calls for a ceasefire

Israel continued its campaign despite pressure from the United States to downgrade its offensive against Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza and that has launched thousands of rockets towards Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting pressure from his country’s closest ally, but seems determined to inflict maximum damage on Hamas in a war that could help save his political career.

Still, diplomatic efforts to negotiate a ceasefire gained momentum, and a prominent Hamas member said he expected a truce soon.

THE EXPLOSIONS SHAKED THE CITY OF GAZA

The explosions shook Gaza City and orange flashes lit up the night sky.

Attacks were also reported in the central town of Deir al-Balah and the southern city of Khan Younis. As the sun rose, residents came out to see the remains of at least five destroyed family homes in Khan Younis.

The bombings do not subside.

There was also heavy bombardment on Al-Saftawi Street, a commercial avenue in Gaza City.

The Israeli army said it attacked at least four homes of Hamas commanders and “military infrastructure”, as well as an arms depot at the home of a Hamas fighter in Gaza City.

An Israeli attack destroyed the Khawaldi family’s two-story home in Khan Younis. The 11 residents, who slept in another area for fear of attacks, were injured and hospitalized, said Shaker al-Kozondar, a neighbor.

Rockets and missiles continue to destroy and kill.

The shrapnel hit her family in the neighboring house and killed Hoda al-Khozondar, her aunt, in addition to injuring her daughter and two cousins, she said. Al-Khozondar spoke from his aunt Hoda’s room, where the woman died.

The windows were smashed and there were blood stains on the bed cushions and debris.

Weam Fares, a spokesman for a nearby hospital, confirmed the woman’s death, saying that at least 10 people had been injured in the night’s attacks.

There is no indication of a truce.

Heavy shelling hit a street in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, destroying nearby flimsy houses with metal roofs.

The Army said it hit two underground rocket launchers in the field used to launch rockets at Tel Aviv.

“I have never seen so much destruction in my life,” said 44-year-old Ibrahim Afana. “We didn’t even have three minutes to put our shoes on,” he said, describing how his family had fled in panic when the bombs woke them up.

The attacks do not stop.

The army had called some neighbors to alert them of the attacks, he said. There were no reports of victims.

Fighting between Israel and Hamas began on May 10, when the armed group fired long-range rockets into Jerusalem after days of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, a disputed revered place of worship. by Jews and Muslims.

Aggressive police tactics at the compound, as well as the threat of eviction on dozens of Palestinian families at the behest of Jewish settlers, had fueled tensions.

Palestinian insurgents have fired some 1,800 projectiles and Israel launched more than 600 airstrikes that brought down at least three apartment blocks.

Since then, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes that it says are targeting Hamas infrastructure, such as its extensive network of tunnels.

Hamas and other armed groups with a presence in residential areas have fired more than 4,000 rockets at Israeli cities, hundreds of which fell short. Most of those who made it across the border were intercepted or fell into open spaces.

At least 230 Palestinians have died, including 65 children and 39 women, and 1,710 people were injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not separate the numbers of civilians and combatants.

Israeli forces have targeted some areas with gunfire from tanks stationed near the Gaza border. The armed conflict has been going on for five days and more than 100 dead.

Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group say at least 20 of its fighters have died, while Israel says the number is at least 130. Some 58,000 Palestinians have fled their homes.

Twelve people have died in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl and a soldier.

An anti-tank missile fired from Gaza struck an empty bus near the border on Thursday, causing minor injuries to an Israeli soldier, according to the army.

The offensive is intensified in the face of a possible invasion.

As the death toll grew in the worst fighting since the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel, the president of the United States pressured Israel to end the campaign.

But Netanyahu rejected the requests, in the first public disagreement between the two allies since the fighting began. That could complicate international efforts to reach a ceasefire and poses a difficult test for the relationship between the United States and Israel under the new administration in Washington.

Netanyahu said Wednesday that he appreciated “the support of the US president” but that Israel would press ahead to restore “calm and security” to its citizens. He said he was “determined to continue with this operation until its objective is reached.”

Israel and Hamas are on the brink of a full-scale war.

US President Joe Biden had previously told Netanyahu that he expected “a significant de-escalation on the way to a ceasefire,” according to the White House.

Biden had avoided pressuring Israel more directly and publicly to call for a ceasefire with Hamas leaders in Gaza. But he faces increasing calls for stronger intervention as other diplomatic efforts progress.

Neighboring Egypt is also working to stop the fighting, and an Egyptian official said they expected an Israeli response to a ceasefire offer. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with regulations.

The memories today are the three wars of 2008, 2012 and 2014, the latter the bloodiest, with more than 2,200 Palestinian fatalities and 73 Israelis.

Moussa Abu Marzouk, a leading Hamas member, told Lebanese television Mayadeen that he expected to reach a ceasefire in a day or two.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas visited the region on Thursday and said that Israel “has the right to defend itself from these unacceptable attacks,” while also expressing concern about mounting civilian casualties and supporting efforts to curb hostilities.

Gaza’s infrastructure, already weakened by a 14-year blockade, has deteriorated rapidly since the fighting began. Medical supplies, water and fuel to produce electricity are in short supply in the territory, which has lived under a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt since Hamas took power in 2007.

The Israeli attacks have damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and destroyed a medical center, according to the World Health Organization. Almost half of essential drugs have run out.