Gaza Struck at Over 400 Locations on First Day After Ceasefire Ends
“Attacking even places that haven’t been attacked since the war broke out”
Mossad negotiators withdraw from Qatar
Hamas pressuring for ceasefire by holding male hostages
The war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas has entered a new phase with the end of the temporary ceasefire. Israel resumed large-scale attacks as soon as the ceasefire ended, and Hamas is demanding a full ceasefire by taking male hostages.
According to CNN on the 2nd (local time), Israel carried out airstrikes across the Gaza Strip for two days after the ceasefire ended. The Israeli military announced that it had attacked over 400 targets in Gaza in the first 24 hours after the ceasefire collapsed.
Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, who visited the Gaza Strip border, said, “We are attacking new areas in the Gaza Strip that we have not attacked since the war broke out in the past two days,” adding, “This measure will reach all areas of the Gaza Strip.” He also added, “We will completely remove Hamas.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said in a press conference that “the war will continue until all goals are achieved,” explaining that “these goals cannot be achieved without ground combat.” He emphasized that “Israel’s goal is to rescue the hostages and eradicate Hamas to prevent the terrorist regime in the Gaza Strip.”
At one point, there were reports that the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad was discussing the resumption of the ceasefire with Qatar, but this has effectively been scrapped. The Prime Minister’s Office stated in a statement, “The negotiations have reached a deadlock,” and “David Barnea, the head of Mossad, has ordered his team members staying in Doha, Qatar, to withdraw on the orders of Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
Hamas is insisting that there will be no additional release of hostages without a full ceasefire. They have entered negotiations holding male hostages, including soldiers, after releasing women and children. Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, said in an interview with Al Jazeera, an Arab satellite broadcaster, “Negotiations with Israel for the further release of hostages have been suspended,” and “Unless a full ceasefire is achieved and all Palestinian detainees are released, the hostages will not be released.”
He said, “The only prisoners left in our hands are soldiers and former soldiers,” and “We have offered different release conditions than the hostages we released before, and Israel has rejected this.” He also claimed, “Israel says we are still detaining women and children, but we have already released all of them.”
Meanwhile, Israeli bereaved families who lost their loved ones in this war staged a protest to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Netanyahu. The families blamed the Prime Minister for failing to prevent the attack, which resulted in the death of 1,200 people and more than 240 civilians taken hostage.
The U.S. also increased pressure on the Prime Minister. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, visiting Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), pointed out at a press conference that “too many Palestinian civilians have died,” and “The situation in the Gaza Strip is devastating as the battle intensifies after the end of the ceasefire.”
However, The New York Times (NYT) predicted that the likelihood of Prime Minister Netanyahu being ousted immediately is slim due to the structural complexity of the Israeli parliament and the volatility of the war.
Most Commented