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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favorite tales on this weekly publication.
An Israeli strike on what its army stated was a Hamas compound inside a UN faculty in central Gaza has killed dozens of individuals, in response to Palestinian officers.
Israel stated the strike in Nuseirat on Thursday had focused Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants who have been a part of the Nukhba forces that spearheaded the October 7 assault on Israel.
Nevertheless, Hamas’s media workplace accused Israel of finishing up a “horrific bloodbath” and stated the strike on the varsity the place displaced Palestinians had been sheltering killed 40 individuals together with girls and kids and injured 74 others.
The Israeli army stated it had taken numerous steps to scale back the chance of hurt to civilians, together with finishing up aerial surveillance of the positioning earlier than the strike. A spokesman stated the army had known as off the assault twice to restrict civilian casualties. He added that 20 to 30 militants had been utilizing the ability.
Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas’s October 7 assault, throughout which militants killed 1,200 individuals and took 250 hostage, in response to Israeli officers.
Nevertheless, it has come below rising worldwide stress over the toll of its offensive, which has killed greater than 36,500 individuals, in response to Palestinian officers, and fuelled a humanitarian disaster within the coastal enclave.
Final week, Israel confronted widespread condemnation after a strike ignited a fireplace and killed dozens of individuals in a camp housing displaced Palestinians in Rafah. That incident got here two days after the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice ordered Israel to “instantly halt” its offensive within the southern metropolis.
In an effort to finish the battle, which is in its eighth month, US President Joe Biden final week set out what he stated was an Israeli proposal to free the roughly 120 hostages nonetheless held by Hamas in Gaza and produce a couple of lasting ceasefire.
On Thursday the US, UK and 15 different international locations known as “on the leaders of Israel in addition to Hamas to make no matter remaining compromises are vital to shut this deal”, warning that “there is no such thing as a time to lose”.
Nevertheless, neither Israel nor Hamas has to this point accepted the plan. Dealing with stress from far-right members of his authorities, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated the nation won’t comply with a ceasefire earlier than it has destroyed Hamas.
In the meantime, Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’s political bureau, stated on Wednesday that the group would demand a everlasting finish to the conflict as a part of any deal.
“The motion and factions of the resistance will deal severely and positively with any settlement that’s primarily based on a complete ending of the aggression and the entire withdrawal and prisoners swap,” he stated.
Efforts to finish the conflict have been given added urgency by fears that the hostilities might additionally ignite a full-blown battle between Israel and Hizbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, after an escalation in cross-border fireplace between the 2 sides.
The Israeli army confirmed on Thursday that considered one of its troopers had died after a Hizbollah drone strike the day past that injured a number of different troopers.
Netanyahu visited the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona on Wednesday and warned that the Israeli army was “ready for very intense motion within the north”.
His feedback got here a day after the top of the army, Herzi Halevi, warned {that a} “level of determination” was quick approaching over whether or not an offensive would must be launched in Lebanon.
