Israel-Hamas War: Israel bombarded the largest city in southern Gaza Khan Yunis on Monday. According to witnesses, deadly strikes and fierce fighting took place between Israeli soldiers and Hamas operatives overnight, as reported by news agency AFP. Israeli planes resumed heavy bombing on Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip and explosions were heard throughout the city.
The explosions lit the skies in parts of the Khan Younis refugee camp. According to Palestinian health officials, one Palestinian was killed and seven wounded in one air strike as night fell, as reported by news agency IANS.
The assault from the Israeli forces came as the families of hostages held by Hamas urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal to secure their release. On Monday Gaza Health Ministry said that the death toll from Israeli strikes since war broke out in October last has passed 25,000, as reported by IANS.
According to the ministry, 25,105 Palestinians had been killed and 62,681 have been wounded in Israeli strikes since October 7. “178 Palestinians had been killed in the past 24 hours, one of the deadliest days of the war so far. Israel's military said a soldier was killed in fighting,” the ministry said, as quoted by IANS.
The Israeli PM has vowed "complete victory" over Hamas after attacks by the Islamist movement's fighters on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Hamas operatives captured about 250 hostages and Israel says around 132 remain in besieged Gaza. According to the Israeli military, the war has spurred fears of a wider escalation, and sirens were heard again overnight in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon.
According to AFP, there have been daily exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. Several areas of southern Lebanon were hit overnight. A Lebanese Hezbollah fighter was killed in one such Israeli strike, AFP reported, citing a source in the Hamas-aligned group. There has been a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Israeli PM is under intense pressure to secure the return of the hostages. Relatives and supporters of the hostages again rallied near Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence in Jerusalem on Sunday night for their return, as reported by AFP.
"We are asking our government to listen, to sit down at the negotiating table and decide whether to accept this agreement or any other that would suit Israel," said Gilad Korenbloom, whose son is a hostage in Gaza, as quoted by AFP.
John Polin, also the father of a hostage, said Israelis serve their country and in return "we expect the government to ensure our safety". "We are asking the government to play its part, to propose an agreement, to bring it to a successful conclusion and to bring the remaining hostages back alive," Polin said, as quoted by AFP.