Israel bombs south Gaza in response to Hamas hostage threat

Intense urban battles unfolded on Monday in the bloodiest-ever Gaza war which has killed 101 Israeli soldiers and around 18,000 Palestinians, according to the latest death tolls.

Hamas, which started the war with its October 7 attacks that killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel, warned the remaining 137 hostages it holds won’t survive unless Israel meets its demands and frees more Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Hamas to “surrender now,” asserting that the militant group’s days are numbered.

In response, militants continued firing rockets towards Israel, causing multiple impact sites in Holon, near Tel Aviv, resulting in a civilian sustaining minor injuries, reported AFP.

The conflict’s toll extends beyond the battlefield, with tragic incidents like air strikes in Rafah, near Egypt, causing the death of seven children from a family that had sought refuge there.

Efforts to address the humanitarian crisis have faced obstacles, including a US veto on a Security Council resolution for a ceasefire. The UN General Assembly convened to discuss the situation, as an estimated 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been displaced, with half being children.

The war has heightened fears the conflict will expand between Israel and its United States allies on the one hand, and Iran-backed armed groups on the other, including Hezbollah in Lebanon.

With inputs from AFP