Hamas abandons ceasefire talks after new Israeli attacks

Hamas announced on Sunday (14) that it is abandoning negotiations for a ceasefire. The statement, made to the AFP agency, came after yet another fierce Israeli action on Saturday (13), which left at least 71 Palestinians dead and 289 injured, in a designated humanitarian area in Gaza, according to the local Ministry of Health.

Despite the announcement, Hamas said it was “ready to resume negotiations when Israel shows seriousness about concluding a ceasefire agreement” and on the release of hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. The mediation had been led by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

As reported by international agencies, Saturday’s attacks reportedly took place in the al-Mawasi area, near Khan Younis, which the Israeli military itself designated as a humanitarian zone and where it has housed Palestinians seeking shelter.

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Again, in justifying the bombing, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government claimed that the targets of the airstrikes were members of Hamas, which the group denies.

Mohammed Abu Rayy, a doctor at a hospital treating the wounded, told the BBC World Service that it was “one of the darkest days” since the fighting began and that most of the victims who arrived were already dead. Others were suffering from multiple shrapnel wounds. Many women and children arrived injured.

According to the British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), the Nasser medical complex in Khan Younis is overwhelmed and no longer operational.

Witnesses interviewed by news agencies reported that the attack came as a surprise, as the location was considered peaceful even amid the numerous conflicts in Gaza.

On the same day, another Israeli action left at least 17 Palestinians dead, in an attack on a prayer hall in the West Zone of Gaza.

Estimates indicate that since the beginning of the Israeli offensive, more than 38,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of them civilians, have lost their lives and 2.3 million have been driven from their homes. The Palestinian Health Ministry says that more than 70% of the dead are women and children — with an estimated 40% of the dead being children.

On the other side, Israel says more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, have been killed and 253 have been taken into captivity in Gaza.

With agencies