More than 25,000 now killed in Gaza since Israel’s offensive began, Hamas-run health ministry says
The health ministry under Hamas control has reported that the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 25,000 as Israel’s offensive persists. In the last 24 hours alone, there have been 178 fatalities, marking one of the deadliest days in the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has once again dismissed the idea of establishing a Palestinian state. The White House acknowledged a divergence in perspectives between the US and Israel on the matter of a two-state solution.
The Israeli offensive was initiated in response to an October 7 attack by Hamas, which resulted in the death of 1,300 individuals in southern Israel and the capture of over 240 hostages.
Hamas, in its first public account of the October assault, characterized it as a “necessary step” against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, aimed at securing the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Presently, Israel’s military operation is concentrated in southern Gaza, specifically targeting the city of Khan Younis, where top Hamas commanders are believed to be situated.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recently uncovered a tunnel, approximately 830m (2,700ft) long, containing booby traps and blast doors.
Footage released by the IDF depicted what seemed to be a tunnel with cells and mattresses, where around 20 hostages, including children, were thought to have been held at various times. However, none were found when the tunnel was located.
In the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers have encountered renewed attacks, with reports suggesting that Hamas has gained control around the town of Jabalia as Israel shifts troops and tanks southward.
Despite possessing a significantly superior military, Israel continues to face substantial resistance across Gaza more than three months into the conflict.
US intelligence agencies estimate that the Israeli military has eliminated 20-30% of Hamas fighters, falling short of Netanyahu’s stated goal of “destroying” the armed group.
The classified report is also said to have found that Hamas still has enough munitions to continue striking Israel and Israeli forces for months, raising the specter of a prolonged war in which Israel could get bogged down.
The apparent slow progress, the fact no top Hamas commander has yet been captured or killed, and the collective trauma over the 130 or so Israeli hostages still missing, is prompting growing anti-government anger in Israel.
Protests are continuing by relatives of those still held by Hamas, calling for Mr Netanyahu to prioritize their release over the potentially impossible aim of destroying Hamas. And a still relatively small anti-war movement is also demonstrating, horrified by the damage wrought on Gaza – one of the most intense and destructive military campaigns in recent history.
Most Israelis have rallied around their flag – but not around their prime minister, who, according to a recent poll, only 15% of the public believe should stay in office once the war ends.
How it does end is the subject of growing disagreement between Mr Netanyahu and Israel’s western allies. After speaking to US President Joe Biden for the first time in almost a month, the Israeli prime minister reiterated his rejection of a future Palestinian state.
In a post on X – formerly Twitter – he said Israel must retain “security control over the entire area west of [River] Jordan”, which also encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank territory.
Mr Netanyahu has been fiercely opposed to a Palestinian state throughout his political career. But by repeatedly asserting it now, an increasingly unpopular prime minister appears to be doubling down on a view that he feels chimes with the majority opinion in a nation too horrified by the attacks to countenance an independent Palestinian state.
His apparent fight for political survival is clashing with exasperated Israeli allies, who hope that the current bloodshed could force both sides into meaningful diplomacy over a sustainable two-state solution.
UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC earlier that Mr. Netanyahu’s stance was “disappointing”. The White House has said the US and Israel “clearly see things differently”.
Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, went further, calling the refusal to accept a Palestinian state “completely unacceptable”. He added it “would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security”.
