Israeli and Hamas forces are locked in heavy, close-quarters fighting in Gaza (File)
Jerusalem:
Fighting raged in Gaza on Thursday more than a month after Hamas’s shock October 7 attack triggered a furious response from Israel aimed at destroying the Islamist group.
More than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed in Israel in the attack, according to Israeli officials.
In Gaza, upwards of 10,500 people, also mostly civilians, have been killed in the war, the health ministry in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory has said.
Here are five key developments from the past 24 hours:
10-hour battle
Israeli and Hamas forces are locked in heavy, close-quarters fighting in Gaza, with Israel saying a 10-hour battle had toppled a Hamas “stronghold”.
The army said it had secured the military position in Jabalia after fighting both above ground and in Hamas’s tunnel network.
It said it had killed dozens of operatives, while the overall death number for Israel’s troops in the offensive has risen to 34.
Tens of thousands of Gazans have fled south to escape the violence, with 50,000 leaving in the past day alone, the army said.
Macron calls for ceasefire
French President Emmanuel Macron called for a Gaza ceasefire as he opened a conference on aid for the besieged territory.
“In the immediate term, we need to work on protecting civilians. To do that, we need a humanitarian pause very quickly and we must work towards a ceasefire,” Macron told delegates in Paris.
Israel is not attending the talks and has opposed calls for a ceasefire without all hostages being released.
Israel denies humanitarian crisis
An Israeli military official has denied there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“We know the civil situation in the Gaza Strip is not an easy one,” said Colonel Moshe Tetro, head of coordination and liaison at COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body handling civil affairs in the Palestinian territory.
“But I can say that there is no humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip,” he added.
Tetro said the military was facilitating the transfer to Gaza of “water, food, medical supplies and humanitarian aid for shelters”.
Only the second delivery of medical aid since the war began has arrived at Al-Shifa hospital, the UN said, calling it “far from sufficient”.
Italy has said it is sending a hospital ship and field hospital to help Gaza, with the “Vulcano” ship heading initially for Cyprus.
Border crossings stall
The evacuation of foreigners and wounded Palestinians through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, the only exit point from Gaza not controlled by Israel, has stalled.
Efforts are underway to resume crossings, but without a breakthrough so far.
Moscow expressed shock after being told by Israel it could take two weeks for Russians to be evacuated.
There are currently 7,000 people waiting to depart via Rafah, but only 500-600 are crossing each day the border is open.
Israel again rejects ceasefire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has again rejected any talk of a ceasefire without the release of hostages.
His comments came after a source close to Hamas said talks were underway for the release of a dozen hostages in Gaza, including six US citizens, in return for a humanitarian pause.
Earlier a source briefed on the process told AFP that Qatar was mediating negotiations between Israel and Hamas for the release of hostages.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Hindkesharistaff and is published from a syndicated feed.)