By Staff Reporter
Residents of Gaza City tell the Reuters news agency that fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters was comparable to the fiercest battle of the war so far, leaving the Shujayea neighbourhood destroyed as civil defence teams work to recover bodies from the ruins.
A civil defence spokesperson says more than 85 percent of Shujayea’s buildings are now uninhabitable and more than 120,000 residents have been made homeless in the area, while Israeli attacks across the Strip on Thursday killed at least 26 people.
With a day of ceasefire talks ending without agreement, Hamas accused Israel of “stalling to buy time to foil the current round of negotiations”, while White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said there are “still miles to go before we close – if we are able to close” a deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that he backs the Gaza ceasefire framework, but accused Hamas of making demands that contradict it while also reiterating that the fighting will not stop until Hamas is defeated.
At least 38,345 people have been killed and 88,295 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 is estimated at 1,139, and dozens of people are still held captive in Gaza.
Source: Aljezeera
