An image taken from the Israeli aspect of the border with the Gaza Strip reveals the devastation within the northern a part of the Palestinian territory on March 30, 2025. A fragile truce that had supplied weeks of relative calm within the Gaza Strip collapsed on March 18 when Israel resumed its aerial bombardment and floor offensive. (Photograph by Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday supplied to let the leaders of Hamas go away the Gaza Strip however demanded the group deserted its arms, as his nation saved up its bombardment of the Palestinian territory.
On Sunday morning, an Israeli air strike that hit a home and a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians killed at the least eight individuals, together with 5 kids, the Gaza civil defence company mentioned.
The strike in Khan Yunis got here on the primary day of Eid al-Fitr, the pageant marking the top of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Israel resumed large-scale bombing within the Palestinian territory on March 18 after which launched a brand new floor offensive, ending a virtually two-month ceasefire within the conflict with Hamas.
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Netanyahu rejected claims Israel was not partaking in negotiations aimed toward releasing hostages held in Gaza and insisted navy strain on Hamas was proving efficient.
“We’re negotiating beneath hearth… We are able to see cracks starting to look,” he mentioned at the start of a cupboard assembly.
“Hamas should lay down its arms. Its leaders can be allowed to go away,” mentioned Netanyahu.
“The navy strain is working,” he mentioned, arguing Israel’s technique was weakening Hamas and rising strain for hostage releases.
Hamas has expressed a willingness handy over Gaza’s administration, however has warned its weapons are a “purple line.”
Egypt, Qatar, and the US try to once more dealer a ceasefire and safe the discharge of Israeli hostages nonetheless held in Gaza.
A senior Hamas official said on Saturday that the group had accepted a brand new ceasefire proposal put ahead by mediators and urged Israel to assist it.
Netanyahu’s workplace confirmed receipt of the proposal and said that Israel had submitted a counterproposal in response.
Nonetheless, the small print of the most recent mediation efforts stay undisclosed.
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Gaza medics and witnesses reported that Israeli air strikes continued in Khan Yunis and another elements of Gaza all through the day.
An air strike within the southern metropolis of Rafah wounded two kids, in line with medics.
Netanyahu mentioned Israeli forces have been working in direction of a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to displace all of Gaza’s 2.4 million individuals to different international locations.
The premier mentioned Israel would guarantee general safety in Gaza and “allow the implementation of the Trump plan — the voluntary migration plan.”
Trump proposed that Gazans be faraway from the territory that might then be owned by the US and redeveloped, with no proper of return for the Palestinians.
He later mentioned he was “not forcing” the extensively condemned plan however would “sit again and advocate it.”
Tons of have been killed because the combating restarted, with the Hamas-run well being ministry saying on Saturday that at the least 921 individuals had been killed.
The conflict in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, which resulted within the deaths of 1,218 individuals, in line with an AFP tally primarily based on official Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory navy marketing campaign towards Gaza has killed at the least 50,277 individuals in Gaza, the vast majority of them civilians, in line with the territory’s well being ministry.
The resumption of the conflict in Gaza has additionally prompted the Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen to renew launching missiles and drones at Israel.
On Sunday morning, the Israeli navy mentioned it had intercepted a missile fired from the impoverished nation “previous to crossing into Israeli territory.”
The Huthis say they’re appearing in solidarity with the Palestinian individuals and have additionally attacked transport within the Crimson Sea and Gulf of Aden on the identical foundation.
In the meantime, Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned he would go to Hungary on April 2 for a multi-day journey in defiance of an arrest warrant from the Worldwide Felony Court docket towards the Israeli premier for alleged conflict crimes in Gaza.
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban publicly prolonged an invite to Netanyahu in November shortly after the ICC issued the warrant.