An image taken from the Israeli aspect of the border with the Gaza Strip exhibits the devastation within the northern a part of the Palestinian territory on March 30, 2025. A fragile truce that had supplied weeks of relative calm within the Gaza Strip collapsed on March 18 when Israel resumed its aerial bombardment and floor offensive. (Picture by Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday provided to let the leaders of Hamas go away the Gaza Strip however demanded the group deserted its arms, as his nation saved up its bombardment of the Palestinian territory.
On Sunday morning, an Israeli air strike that hit a home and a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians killed no less than eight folks, together with 5 kids, the Gaza civil defence company mentioned.
The strike in Khan Yunis got here on the primary day of Eid al-Fitr, the competition marking the tip of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Israel resumed large-scale bombing within the Palestinian territory on March 18 after which launched a brand new floor offensive, ending an almost two-month ceasefire within the warfare with Hamas.
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Netanyahu rejected claims Israel was not partaking in negotiations aimed toward releasing hostages held in Gaza and insisted army strain on Hamas was proving efficient.
“We’re negotiating below fireplace… We are able to see cracks starting to seem,” he mentioned at the start of a cupboard assembly.
“Hamas should lay down its arms. Its leaders can be allowed to go away,” mentioned Netanyahu.
“The army strain is working,” he mentioned, arguing Israel’s technique was weakening Hamas and rising strain for hostage releases.
Hamas has expressed a willingness at hand over Gaza’s administration, however has warned its weapons are a “crimson line.”
Egypt, Qatar, and the US try to once more dealer a ceasefire and safe the discharge of Israeli hostages nonetheless held in Gaza.
A senior Hamas official acknowledged on Saturday that the group had authorized a brand new ceasefire proposal put ahead by mediators and urged Israel to assist it.
Netanyahu’s workplace confirmed receipt of the proposal and acknowledged that Israel had submitted a counterproposal in response.
Nonetheless, the main points of the newest mediation efforts stay undisclosed.
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Gaza medics and witnesses reported that Israeli air strikes continued in Khan Yunis and another elements of Gaza all through the day.
An air strike within the southern metropolis of Rafah wounded two kids, based on medics.
Netanyahu mentioned Israeli forces had been working in direction of a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to displace all of Gaza’s 2.4 million folks to different international locations.
The premier mentioned Israel would guarantee total safety in Gaza and “allow the implementation of the Trump plan — the voluntary migration plan.”
Trump proposed that Gazans be faraway from the territory that might then be owned by the US and redeveloped, with no proper of return for the Palestinians.
He later mentioned he was “not forcing” the extensively condemned plan however would “sit again and suggest it.”
Lots of have been killed for the reason that combating restarted, with the Hamas-run well being ministry saying on Saturday that no less than 921 folks had been killed.
The warfare in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, which resulted within the deaths of 1,218 folks, based on an AFP tally based mostly on official Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory army marketing campaign in opposition to Gaza has killed no less than 50,277 folks in Gaza, the vast majority of them civilians, based on the territory’s well being ministry.
The resumption of the warfare in Gaza has additionally prompted the Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen to renew launching missiles and drones at Israel.
On Sunday morning, the Israeli army mentioned it had intercepted a missile fired from the impoverished nation “previous to crossing into Israeli territory.”
The Huthis say they’re performing in solidarity with the Palestinian folks and have additionally attacked transport within the Crimson Sea and Gulf of Aden on the identical foundation.
In the meantime, Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned he would go to Hungary on April 2 for a multi-day journey in defiance of an arrest warrant from the Worldwide Prison Court docket in opposition to the Israeli premier for alleged warfare crimes in Gaza.
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban publicly prolonged an invite to Netanyahu in November shortly after the ICC issued the warrant.
