Israel said it was entering the “next stage” of the six-week-old war against Hamas as focus shifted to the south of the besieged Gaza Strip. Separately, Israeli paratroopers raided what were called the homes of senior Hamas officials in northern Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wouldn’t say if he believed top Hamas leaders were now hiding around the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis. “We’ll get to them,” he told reporters, describing the leadership as “dead men walking.” About 2,500 internally displaced persons, along with patients and staff, on Saturday vacated northern Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital, the focus of Israel’s ground offensive for the past week, a United Nations agency said.
Israel’s army said it launched strikes against both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah across its northern border in Lebanon early Sunday. Meanwhile, Hamas — designated a terror organization by the US and European Union — said it had lost contact with groups assigned to guard some of the hostages it seized on Oct. 7.
At least 30 premature babies were evacuated from Gaza’s main hospital on Sunday and will be transferred to facilities in Egypt, the Associated Press reported, citing the territory’s health ministry.
A World Health Organization team that visited Al Shifa Hospital on Saturday said 32 babies were among scores of patients stranded at the hospital, where Israeli forces have been operating since last week.
Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said there’s been “good progress” in the past few days on reaching an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release hostages.
Al Thani, who’s also the foreign minister, said he’s “more confident” about sealing a deal, with the remaining challenges “practical and logistical.” He spoke at a joint press conference with European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell.
Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
