Israeli strikes persist amidst 'intense' clashes in Gaza

The Gaza Strip witnessed on Thursday airstrikes and fierce battles between the Israeli army and Palestinian fighters, resulting in the death of 66 people overnight, according to Hamas, while Benjamin Netanyahu's government "reopened" discussions with its US ally regarding a potential ground attack on Rafah.

The Hamas Ministry of Health announced on Thursday morning that at least 66 people were killed in the Gaza Strip overnight in Israeli strikes, particularly, while a senior local official mentioned battles near Gaza City in the north and Khan Yunis in the south.

In parallel, the Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported clashes in several towns in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli army, accusing Hamas fighters of hiding in hospitals, continues its attack initiated on March 18th on Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

In Khan Yunis, soldiers carry out operations in the area of the Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals, which are one kilometer apart.

Earlier this week, the Palestine Red Crescent Society announced that the Al-Amal Hospital, operated by the association in Khan Yunis, went out of service "after the occupation forces forced the hospital's crews and the wounded to evacuate it and closed its entrances with dirt barriers."

In response to the United States abstention from voting on a resolution in the United Nations Security Council calling for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip, Benjamin Netanyahu's government canceled sending a delegation to Washington to discuss Israel's intention to launch a ground attack on Rafah in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip.

However, a senior US official announced on Wednesday that "The prime minister's office has said they'd like to reschedule the meeting dedicated to Rafah. We are now working with them to set a convenient date."

After Gaza City and Khan Yunis, Israel intends to continue its ground offensive to Rafah, located on the closed border with Egypt, where 1.5 million Palestinians, mostly displaced from fighting in other areas, are gathered.

The United States, Israel's main ally, fears the human toll of a similar attack and prefers other options.

In parallel, Qatar, acting as a mediator with Egypt and the United States, confirmed the continuation of negotiations to reach a ceasefire extending over several weeks, accompanied by the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

AFP