ALBAWABA- Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, marking the second ceasefire violation in less than 24 hours.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the attack targeted Hamas positions in retaliation for an alleged attempt to fire rockets at Israel.
The escalation comes as Israel delays the release of Palestinian prisoners, part of the sixth phase of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
The Israeli government cited Hamas’s public display of four Israeli captives’ bodies, killed in a previous Israeli raid, as justification for the delay.
On his part, Abu Obeida announced that Hamas has decided to hand over the bodies of four Israeli prisoners: Itzachi Idan, Itzik Al-Jarit, Ohad Yahalomi, and Shlomi Mansour.
This development comes amid ongoing negotiations and ceasefire violations, adding further complexity to the situation between Hamas and Israel.
Despite the delay, the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Authority reported that Israel has informed them of plans to release 445 Palestinian detainees from Gaza later tonight.
The Prisoners' Media Office confirmed that preparations have begun at Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis to receive the seventh batch of released prisoners, expected to arrive between 10 p.m. and midnight.
In a related development, Egypt's Foreign Ministry strongly rejected a proposal by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, who suggested that Egypt administer the Gaza Strip for 15 years in exchange for canceling $150 billion in Egyptian debt.
Egypt dismissed the idea as an attempt to bypass longstanding Arab and Egyptian positions on the Palestinian issue, stressing that the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are inseparable parts of Palestinian land.
The ministry warned that such “half-solutions” would only prolong the conflict rather than resolve it.
