GAZA — Fierce fighting has been continuing across the Gaza Strip after hopes were raised over the weekend for another ceasefire and hostage release deal.
In the past 24 hours, there’ve been deadly Israeli air strikes from the north to the south of Gaza. Attacks on the Jabalia refugee camp are said to have killed 110 people, according to local health officials.
Israel says it goes to great lengths to avoid hitting civilians. But the mistaken killing of three of its own hostages carrying a white flag on Friday has added to international and domestic pressure for another ceasefire deal which could free some of the 120 others still believed to be held captive in Gaza by Hamas.
The Jabalia area, north of Gaza City, has been repeatedly hit by Israeli air strikes and has been a focus of the Israeli ground operation during the war, with the IDF saying it has been targeting terrorists and terrorist infrastructure there. A large number of buildings have been destroyed and entire streets reduced to rubble.
The largest of Gaza's eight Palestinian refugee camps is located in Jabalia. It is was set up after the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli war and is home to 116,000 refugees registered with the UN. The IDF considers the camp a stronghold of Hamas and it has been a focus of Israeli ground forces over the past few weeks.
The Hamas-run government said at least 195 people were killed in Israeli air strikes on Jabalia camp on 31 October and 1 November. The IDF said it had targeted and killed Hamas commanders there.
The Israeli Defences Forces (IDF) has announced that five more soldiers have been killed in Gaza.
Three were killed in southern Gaza, where some of the fiercest fighting has been taking place.
Another soldier died of his wounds after being seriously wounded last week. Despite Israel's military superiority, its forces have been vulnerable to ambush by militants operating out of underground tunnels in civilian areas.
Some of the soldiers who died were members of the elite counter terrorism Duvdevan Unit, which specialises in undercover operations.
On Sunday, some of Israel’s closest European allies pressed for a ceasefire in the war with Hamas on Sunday, underscoring growing international unease with the devastating impact of the conflict on Gaza’s civilian population.
The concerted push by top European diplomats comes ahead of a visit to Israel on Monday by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is also expected to put pressure on Israeli leaders to end the war’s most intense phase and transit to a more targeted strategy against Hamas.
At the UN Security Council, the US is said to be seeking to tone down the words of a new draft resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities to allow greater humanitarian access.
In response to calls from Washington, Israel has now opened its Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza for the first time since the outbreak of the war, in a move intended to increase the amount of food and medicine reaching Gazans.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said "too many civilian lives have been lost" in the war between Israel and Hamas, adding: "nobody wants to see this conflict go on a day longer than it has to".
Speaking to reporters in Scotland, he reiterates that while Israel has the right to defend itself following the attacks of 7 October, it must do so "in accordance with humanitarian law".
The UN Security Council could vote later on a proposal to demand that Israel and Hamas allow aid access to Gaza via land, sea and air routes.
The AFP news agency reports there is new resolution planned for Monday, drawn up by the United Arab Emirates, calling for an "urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities" in Gaza.
The new resolution also calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and affirms support for a two-state solution.
The US blocked a previous security council resolution calling for a "humanitarian ceasefire". — Agencies
