Amir Cohen / Reuters
Update on the situation – This is the heaviest daily toll since the beginning of the Jewish state’s ground offensive in Gaza on October 27.
Fierce fighting continued on Tuesday 23 January between the Israeli army – which announced the loss of 21 soldiers during the day on Monday – and Hamas in Khan Younes, south of Gaza, against a backdrop of talks to escalate the war.a break» A few weeks, in the absence of a long-term solution. Le Figaro Takes stock of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
21 Israeli soldiers were killed in one day
An Israeli army spokesman announced the death toll at 21 on Tuesday.Reservists», killed a day earlier in the Gaza Strip, the heaviest daily toll on the Israeli side since it launched a ground offensive against the Palestinian territory on October 27. General Daniel Hagari indicated during a televised press briefing that most of these reservists were killed by the explosion.An RPG» (shoulder-fired rocket) that targeted a tank and a building mined by the army with a view to its demolition, south of the Gaza Strip.
Earlier, the Army published the identity of ten of these reservists on its website. “We worked till the last hours to find the victims“, General Hagari declared, referring to the difficulty of extricating bodies buried under the rubble.
“War has a heavy, very heavy cost. Our reservists sacrificed what they loved most so that we could all be safe here» General Hagari added. The Israeli military said it had taken control of Hamas command posts in Khan Yunis, and reported the death of 200 soldiers since the start of its ground offensive in Gaza.
The fighting in Khan Younes intensifies
Early Tuesday night, Palestinian witnesses reported Israeli artillery fire near Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, the main city in the south of the region where local Hamas leaders are hiding, according to Israel. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), “Hostility intensifies“Palestinian Red Crescent Condemns Situation in Khan Yunis”Extremely dangerous» Another local hospital, near Al-Amal.
Palestinian telecom operator Paltel announced new cuts to internet and mobile communications, a result of Israeli military operations in the region where the situation for civilians was already critical.
A two-month ceasefire?
Israel, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, offered Hamas a two-month pause in fighting and raids in Gaza in exchange for the release of all hostages, an American website reported Monday evening. Axios. The proposal did not imply an end to the war in Gaza, but a second ceasefire a week later, which allowed the release of a hundred hostages in exchange for at least 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
The Israeli proposal provides for the return of living hostages to Israel and is in several phases, the first of which would include women and men over the age of 60. Axios. This would be followed by female soldiers, men under 60, but not in the military, male Israeli soldiers, then the remnants of the hostages.
As part of the plan, Israel and Hamas must agree in advance on the number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for each hostage according to their category, continues. Axios. During a meeting with family members of the hostages on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “initiative» Israeli, while claiming not to be able to “to give detail», according to the local press.
Diplomatic meetings in Brussels
If the Netanyahu government does discuss a cease-fire, it is “long-term.”Two-state solution», an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, European foreign ministers expressed their condolences on Monday. Meeting in Brussels, the latter met in turn, and separately, his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz and Palestinian Riyad al-Maliki.
Israel Katz said he is seeking European support for Israel’s war against Hamas and the release of hostages. “The (Israeli) minister could have made better use of his time and was concerned about the security of his country and the high death toll in Gaza.», reacted the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell, irritated by Israel’s refusal to discuss a two-state solution. “What other solutions are they considering?“, asked Josep Borrell. “Abandon all Palestinians? Kill them?“, he added. IsraelisSowing the seeds of hatred for generations to come“
Territorialization of conflict
Beyond the Palestinian territories, the conflict is raising tensions between Israel and Hamas’ pro-Iranian allies, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Yemeni Houthis. In support of Gaza, the latter has been increasing attacks on international traffic in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, giving large ship owners headaches and increasing the cost of maritime transport.
From Monday to Tuesday night, the United States and the United Kingdom again bombarded Houthi sites in Yemen in hopes that, according to them, “to weakenThe military arsenal of these rebels to promote the resumption of traffic in the Red Sea. But for Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, this is not a strikeTo strengthen the determination of the Yemeni people to fulfill their moral and humanitarian responsibilities towards the oppressed people of Gaza.“
” data-script=”https://static.lefigaro.fr/widget-video/short-ttl/video/index.js” >
