Fourteen Palestinians were killed and dozens others wounded late Wednesday/early Thursday as a result of airstrikes carried out by the Israeli warplanes on Rafah in southern Gaza Strip and Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted local sources as saying, “Two citizens were killed and at least 10 others were injured in the Israeli occupation’s bombing of a house in Deir al-Balah in the middle of the Gaza Strip, while 12 citizens were killed and others injured in the Israeli occupation’s bombing of two houses near the Abu al-Sa’id junction in Tal al-Sultan and the Saudi neighborhood west of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that the Israeli army had received orders to prepare for an attack in Rafah, according to the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth through its website.
Netanyahu, in a press conference, added that Israel would not accept Hamas’ recent conditions regarding a deal concerning the hostages, but he did not rule out continuing negotiations to reach an acceptable agreement to secure the release of about 130 hostages held in the Gaza Strip, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.
The newspaper quoted Netanyahu in response to a question from one of the journalists about Hamas’ offer, saying, “From what I have seen, even you would say: no” to Hamas’ offer.
The Jerusalem Post stated that Hamas’ insistence on a long-term cessation of the war that has been going on for 135 days, a permanent ceasefire, and a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Strip has extinguished the spark of optimism that the release of the hostages is within reach.
