Israeli forces kill, wound Palestinians as Netanyahu issues Hamas threat

Israeli attacks across Gaza have left at least one Palestinian dead and six people injured, including a young person, as a result of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s threat.

Israeli forces opened fire on civilians in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Wednesday, killing Ayoub Abdel Ayesh Nasr and injuring two others.

According to medical sources, three people were hurt east of Khan Younis when shots were fired, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency.

In another place, Israeli forces shot and injured a young child in the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza.

Since the ceasefire’s start in October, more than 400 people have been killed in the battered enclave, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

Israel “serious and systematic violations” of the ceasefire, according to Gaza’s government media office, adding that the Israeli forces have violated it 875 times since it’s enacted.

The lack of urgent medical care, including medical supplies, is compounding the situation in Gaza, which is on the verge of total collapse.

A preliminary truce, followed by steps toward a wider peace, is a 20-point plan that was suggested by US President Donald Trump in September.

Only the first phase, which included a flimsy release of prisoners and captives, and a partial Israeli withdrawal, has yet to come into effect.

Even though these are stipulated in the first phase of the agreement, Israel continues to violate a ceasefire and refuses to provide the coastal enclave with desperately needed humanitarian aid.

Israel claims that one soldier was hurt when an explosive device detonated in Rafah, in southern Gaza.

Israel responded to the incident, which Hamas denied responsibility for, by saying that the explosive device had been left over by Israeli forces.

Hamas reiterated its commitment to the October 10 ceasefire by claiming the incident occurred in a region under the control of the Israeli army and that it had warned about explosives left in the area and elsewhere since the conflict.

A delegation from Israel, according to Netanyahu’s office, met officials from mediating nations in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday to talk about efforts to bring back the body of the last Israeli captive, police officer Ran Gvili, who was also present.

Members of the delegation included representatives from the Israeli military, the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, and the Mossad intelligence service.

In the end, Trump’s plan calls for Israel to step down and for Hamas to cease playing a governing role in Gaza.

Israel claims it will never permit the establishment of a Palestinian state, but Hamas has stated that it will only grant arms once a Palestinian state is established.

Netanyahu and Trump will meet at the White House next week to primarily discuss the US president’s plan for Gaza.

Hamas claimed later on Wednesday that a delegation led by its top negotiator Khalil al-Haya had spoken with Turkiye’s foreign minister in Ankara about Gaza.

Al-Hayya warned against continuing Israeli violations of the ceasefire, claiming that they were intended to obstruct the transition to the next stage of the agreement.

The Hamas delegation claimed that the ceasefire had been agreed upon, but that Israel’s continued attacks had hampered progress. Additionally, they claimed that 60% of the trucks entering Gaza were carrying commercial goods rather than aid.