Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said again on Saturday that Israel has no choice but to fight in Gaza and will not end the war until Hamas is destroyed, freeing hostages and ensuring that the territory does not pose a threat to Israel.
The Prime Minister also repeatedly vowed to ensure Iran never obtained nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu is under pressure not only from hostages and their families of supporters, but also from reserves and retired Israeli soldiers who questioned the continuation of the war after the ceasefire last month. In his statement, he claimed that Hamas rejected Israel’s latest proposal to release half of the hostages to continue the ceasefire.
The Prime Minister made a speech after the Israeli strike killed more than 90 people within 48 hours, the Gaza Ministry of Health said on Saturday. Israeli forces have been increasing their attacks to force Hamas to release hostages and disarm.
Children and women were 15 people killed overnight, according to hospital staff. Hospital staff said at least 11 people were killed in the southern city of Khan Younis, some of whom were killed in a tent in the Muwasi area. Israel designated it as a humanitarian zone.
The cradle of the mourner, kissing the dead in the face. A man stroked his child’s forehead with his fingers and the bag closed.
“Omar is gone…I hope it is me,” a brother shouted.
Four other people were killed during a strike in Rafa City, including a woman and daughter, according to European hospitals.
According to the Al-Awda Hospital, an Israeli air strike was carried out on a group of civilians west of Nuseirat in central Gaza late Saturday.
Israel’s army said in a statement that it killed more than 40 militants over the weekend.
The military said a soldier was killed in northern Gaza on Saturday and confirmed it was the first time since Israel resumed war on March 18. The armed wing of Hamas, the Kassam Brigade, which ambushed Israeli troops east of the Al-Tuffah community in Gaza.
Israel vowed to step up its attack on Gaza and occupied large “safety zones” in a small coastal zone of more than 2 million people indefinitely. Hamas wants Israeli troops to withdraw from territory.
Israel has also blocked Gaza over the past six weeks, again banning food and other goods from entering.
This week, aid groups issued an alert saying thousands of children are undernourished, most of whom eat almost no meal a day, and stocks are reduced, according to the United Nations.
Dr. Hanan Balkhy, head of the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean office, urged new U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to prompt the country to lift the lockdown in Gaza so drugs and other aid can enter.
“I hope he sees it with his own eyes,” she said.
The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and kidnapped 251 people. Most of the hostages have been released in a ceasefire agreement or other transactions. Hamas currently has 59 hostages, 24 of whom are considered alive.
Since then, the Israeli attack has killed more than 51,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which has not distinguished between civilians and combatants.
The war destroyed much of Gaza and most of its food production capacity. About 90% of the population is displaced, with thousands living in tent camps and bombed buildings.
Frustration has been growing on both sides, with rare public protests in Hamas in Gaza, and Israel continues to hold weekly rallies urging the government to reach a deal to bring all hostages home.
Thousands of Israelis joined the protests Saturday night, demanding a deal.
“Do what you should have done a long time ago. Bring them all back now! And a deal. If that means stopping the war, stop the war,” former hostage Omer Shem Tov told a rally in Tel Aviv.
