Palestinian medical sources reported that the Israeli military launched attacks on multiple locations in Gaza Thursday, killing and injuring several more people, while Islamic resistance movement Hamas said its disarmament depends on Israel's commitment to ceasefire.
The death toll in the war-torn Gaza Strip has risen to 72,049 since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted on Oct 7, 2023, with injuries reaching 171,691, Gaza's health authorities said on the same day.
Specifically, in Gaza City, two people were shot to death by Israeli forces and several others were wounded on the day. In the central Gaza Strip, four others were injured by Israeli gunfire. According to rescuers on the scene, Israeli troops fired on ambulances attempting to reach the wounded, hindering rescue efforts.
Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said in a statement on Thursday that the group is committed to a ceasefire in Gaza but accused Israel of acting without constraints. He added that Hamas will not hand over its weapons unless Israel abides by the ceasefire agreement. Once a Palestinian state is established, the weapons would be placed under unified state management.
Hamas Spokesman Hazem Qassem said on the same day that the group has yet to receive a full proposal from Gaza ceasefire mediators on the weapons issue. He said the focus on weapons is meant to obscure the fact that Israel is obstructing implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
On Tuesday, The Times of Israel reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is drawing up plans for another offensive in Gaza to disarm Hamas by force.
Israel launches new strikes on Gaza, Hamas says disarmament depends on Israel's ceasefire commitment
Israel launches new strikes on Gaza, Hamas says disarmament depends on Israel's ceasefire commitment
