(VOVWORLD) - Israel and the US have agreed on the importance of seizing the current opportunity for a Gaza ceasefire but challenges remain, Israel’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk.
 Illustrative image (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
Gallant said Israel supports opening the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, but will not tolerate the return of Hamas to the area.
The same day, Israel stepped up military operations in north and central Gaza. Residents said Israeli forces had advanced deep into Gaza City, where soldiers carried out house-to-house searches in some areas and tanks shelled several homes. Snipers commandeered the rooftops of some high-rise buildings still standing and tanks were stationed inside the headquarters of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA.
The Israeli military said in a statement that its forces were continuing operations in Gaza City against militants of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who they said had operated from inside the UNRWA facilities, using it as a base for attacks. Israeli forces asked the people there to evacuate to south Gaza via routes suggested by Israel.
Hours earlier, Israeli forces bombed a tent camp of Palestinian families in southern Gaza, killing 29 people. The international community reacted strongly to this bombardment. In a message on social network X, the German Foreign Ministry called the action “unacceptable” and called for an investigation.