As the war between Israel and Hamas nears its one month with no ceasefire in sight, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the US’s call for a ceasefire and stated that his country is “going full steam ahead” unless the hostages held by Palestinian groups are released.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who met Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on his third visit since the beginning of the war, said he discussed a humanitarian pause to provide aid to Gaza. However, it was rejected by Israel.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) continued its operations in Gaza overnight, and the army reported targeting several Hamas centres and killing numerous operatives.
The health ministry in Gaza said an Israeli air strike on an ambulance being used to evacuate the wounded from besieged northern Gaza on Friday killed 15 and injured 60.
Israeli strikes on Gaza have so far resulted in the deaths of at least 9,227 Palestinians, including 3,826 children, since October 7, following the Hamas’ attacks on Israel, killing 1,400 people.