Israel Launches New Military Campaign Against Hamas in Gaza

Israel-Hamas conflict kills 44 Palestinians, complicates ceasefire talks

Israel launched a new military campaign against Hamas in central Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least 44 Palestinians and complicating efforts to finalize a ceasefire deal.

The airstrikes and ground forces operation have forced hundreds of thousands of Gazans to flee their homes.

The Israeli military said it is targeting Hamas militant targets, while Palestinian officials say civilians are being killed. Residents reported intense bombardment and the sounds of planes and tanks.

The Israeli military confirmed that its ground forces were operating in the area of Al-Bureij, one of Gaza’s long-established refugee settlements.

The troops of the 98th Division began a precise campaign in the areas of East Bureij and East Deir Al-Balah, above and below ground at the same time.

Residents described the scenes as chaotic, with families fleeing their homes to seek shelter in other parts of Gaza. Aya, a 30-year-old displaced woman, said that every time there are reports of new truce talks, the Israeli military uses one town or refugee camp as a “pressuring card” to force Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal.

The Israeli military campaign has been met with widespread criticism from international organizations. The United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) pleaded for a ceasefire on Wednesday.

“The war in Gaza has upended millions of Palestinian lives & caused catastrophic damage to the natural environment that they depend upon for water, clean air, food & livelihoods. Restoring environmental services will take decades – & cannot even start until a #ceasefire,” it said.

The US, Qatar, and Egypt are set to meet in Doha on Wednesday to discuss a ceasefire proposal that would also free some Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Qatar said on Tuesday that the proposal was now much closer to the positions of both sides.

Hamas has said it views the contents of the plan positively and has criticized Washington for what it described as attempts to blame the Palestinian militant group for hampering it.