Hamas affirms it has not withdrawn from the negotiating table with Israel after the bloody airstrike.

Accordingly, Israeli sources said the airstrike targeted Mohammed Deif, military leader of Hamas.

Palestinians gather near the damaged area after the airstrike. Photo: Reuters.

Situation in Gaza

Senior Hamas official Izzat El-Reshiq said Israel is deliberately sabotaging efforts to negotiate a ceasefire for Gaza. Negotiators from Arab countries and the US have been trying to push the process forward, but Israel's military campaign is escalating tensions.

An airstrike on July 13 (local time) in Khan Younis, Gaza, killed 90 Palestinians, according to local authorities. This incident raised many doubts about the possibility of reaching a ceasefire agreement.

There had been some positive signs surrounding the talks, suggesting a ceasefire could be signed soon. However, after three days of intense negotiations, two Egyptian security sources involved in the talks in Doha and Cairo said the negotiations had been suspended.

The airstrike targeting Mohammed Deif on Saturday killed Rafa Salama, another Hamas commander believed to be one of Deif’s closest associates, in an airstrike over the weekend. However, no further information about Deif has been released.

"The airstrike on Khan Younis was the result of accurate intelligence," the head of Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency said. Shin Bet also confirmed that 25 Hamas members involved in the October 7, 2023 attack were killed in the past week.

A senior Hamas official denied on July 13 that Mr. Deif had died. Israel’s military leadership said on television that Hamas was hiding the truth about Mr. Deif’s fate, but did not confirm his condition.

Continued Tension

Also on July 14, Israeli forces carried out bombing and artillery attacks on many areas across Gaza.

Hamas media and medical officials said an airstrike targeted a UN-run school in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The attack killed 15 people and injured dozens. The Israeli military said the site was used as a base by Hamas and that it had taken steps to reduce the risk to civilians, including the use of precision weapons and intelligence.

According to local residents, two rockets hit the upper floor of the school, near a crowded market area and a place where many refugee families were taking shelter.

On the morning of July 14, Israel conducted airstrikes on four homes in Gaza City, killing at least 16 Palestinians and injuring dozens.

Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 38,584 Palestinians have been killed and 88,881 injured in the Israeli operation since October 7, 2023. The agency also said 141 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, the highest casualty toll in weeks.

According to Israel, 326 soldiers were killed in Gaza and claimed that at least one-third of the Palestinians killed were Hamas members.

The recent deadly attacks and tensions in ceasefire negotiations have raised many questions about the future of peace in Gaza. As violence escalates, hopes for a lasting ceasefire seem slimmer.

Nguyen Quang Minh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/hamas-khang-dinh-chua-rut-khoi-ban-dam-phan-voi-israel-sau-vu-khong-kich-dam-mau-204240715151138584.htm