Israel on Sunday continued its military operations in Gaza, targeting a range of military sites, while Hamas expressed its readiness for new round of Gaza peace talks.
In a statement on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it, together with the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency, killed a Hamas cell commander during an airstrike on Friday in Gaza.
Khalil Abd al-Nasser Muhammad Khatib, cell commander in Hamas's Al Mawasi battalion in central Gaza, was identified during a reconnaissance mission on Friday, and was hit and killed by an aircraft directed by IDF troops, said the IDF, without specifying the location of the attack.
According to the statement, the Hamas commander was responsible for an attack that killed 21 IDF soldiers in central Gaza's Al Mawasi area in January 2024, and also for leading other attacks against IDF troops. Also on Sunday, Hamas released a press statement, expressing its readiness to begin indirect negotiations over the Gaza ceasefire immediately.
Hamas said the objective of the talks would be to end the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza, ensure the delivery of relief aid to the Palestinian people, and achieve a permanent ceasefire accompanied by the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
Hamas also expressed its appreciation for the continued efforts by Qatar and Egypt to broker a ceasefire agreement.
So far, there has been no immediate comment from the Israeli side regarding the Hamas announcement.
However, Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir has ordered the expansion of the ground operations into additional areas in both the southern and northern parts of the Gaza Strip, according to a statement issued by the IDF.
The army chief said that the expansion of activity will continue until conditions are created for the return of the Israeli hostages and the decisive defeat of Hamas.
Israel continues military operations in Gaza, Hamas voices readiness for new round of peace talks
