Gaza ceasefire equal to Israel's surrender, says Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday categorically rejected the calls for a ceasefire in Gaza amid its war with Palestinian terror outfit Hamas. "Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism...this will not happen," he said, adding Israel would "fight until this battle is won." Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza has reportedly crossed 8,300.
International community must demand unconditional release of hostages: Netanyahu
Netanyahu told his war cabinet that Israeli forces were making "systematic progress" to eliminate Hamas, which launched an attack on Israel on October 7, killing over 1,400 people and taking around 230 hostages. He said the international community must demand the unconditional release of hostages remaining in Gaza. Moreover, a woman soldier held captive by Hamas was freed during a ground operation, Israel said.
Several hospitals destroyed
Israeli airstrike hits Gaza's only cancer hospital
The World Health Organization (WHO) said patients can't be evacuated from the war zone safely as Israeli airstrikes have destroyed hospitals in Gaza. Israel reportedly bombed and damaged the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only hospital for cancer patients in Gaza. Turkey condemned the attack calling it inexplicable and a clear violation of international law since it shared the hospital's coordinates with Israel in advance.
Hamas releases video of hostages
The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, released a video showing three women hostages, who seemed under duress but with no visible signs of injury. One of the women reportedly accused Netanyahu of failing to protect the Israeli citizens during Hamas's October 7 attack. However, Netanyahu denounced the video calling it "cruel psychological propaganda" even as the three women were identified.
Dozens of tanks move into Gaza City
Separately, a German-Israeli woman, Shani Louk, who was kidnapped by Hamas from a music festival near the Gaza border, was confirmed dead on Monday. Moreover, dozens of tanks moved into Gaza City, blocking the main north-south highway and "firing at any vehicle that tries to go along it," AFP reported. With heavy air support, the Israeli army hit over 600 targets within 24 hours.
