Israel committed to ‘intensified’ Gaza operation despite US captive release

Israeli PM says negotiations with Hamas volition proceed ‘under fire’, with conscionable a intermission for the planned merchandise of Edan Alexander.

Israel has not agreed to immoderate ceasefire oregon captive swap with Hamas up of the expected merchandise of Israeli-American worker Edan Alexander, but is continuing to hole to intensify its subject operations successful Gaza, its premier curate has stated.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau said successful a connection released connected Monday that ceasefire negotiations “will proceed nether fire, during preparations for an intensification of the fighting”. The Israeli person insisted that subject unit had forced Hamas to marque the release.

“Israel has not committed to a ceasefire of immoderate kind” oregon the merchandise of Palestinian prisoners, but has lone agreed to let harmless transition for the merchandise of Alexander, the past surviving United States captive held successful Gaza, the connection said.

A Hamas root told the AFP quality bureau aboriginal connected Monday that mediators had informed the Palestinian radical that Israel would intermission subject operations successful Gaza for the handover.

‘Final deal?’

Hamas said connected Monday that Alexander’s merchandise was imminent. The equipped radical agreed to merchandise him arsenic a goodwill motion to US President Donald Trump, who is owed to get successful the Middle East later.

The erstwhile day, the Palestinian radical had revealed that it had agreed to the merchandise successful talks with the US. Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt called it an encouraging measurement towards a instrumentality to ceasefire talks for war-torn Gaza.

Khalil al-Hayyah, a Hamas person successful Gaza, said the radical was acceptable to “immediately commencement intensive negotiations” to scope a last woody for a semipermanent truce, including an extremity to the war, the speech of Palestinian prisoners and remaining Israeli captives successful Gaza, and the handing implicit of powerfulness successful the enclave to an autarkic assemblage of technocrats.

Alexander’s household said they hoped the determination would unfastened the mode for the merchandise of the 59 different captives, lone 21 of whom are believed to beryllium alive.

Families of the captives and their supporters successful Israel person pressed the authorities to scope a woody to unafraid the merchandise of those inactive held successful Gaza, but Netanyahu has faced dense unit from hardliners successful his furniture not to extremity the war.

Last week, Netanyahu announced that Israel plans a full conquest of Gaza successful an intensive subject operation. Israeli officials person said that the step-up successful subject enactment would not commencement until Trump wraps up his Middle East visit.

Israel continues to bombard the enclave.

Gaza’s Civil Defence bureau reported connected Monday that respective radical were killed and galore much injured successful an overnight aerial onslaught connected a schoolhouse lodging displaced people.

“At slightest 10 [dead], including respective women and children, arsenic good arsenic dozens of wounded, were transported pursuing an Israeli aerial onslaught connected the Fatima Bint Asad school, which is location to much than 2,000 displaced radical successful the metropolis of Jabalia,” Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said.

Israeli forces besides continued attacks crossed the Gaza Strip, including Gaza City successful the north, Rafah successful the southbound and the Nuseirat exile campy successful the centre.

Source

:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies