LATEST: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says fighting continues in the Gaza Strip, despite reports of a ceasefire earlier Wednesday. – We see you everywhere. You cannot hide, says Netanyahu according to Haaretz, referring to the militant groups in Gaza. – We choose the time and place for an attack; not you. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies that there is a ceasefire at a press conference on Wednesday evening. Photo: SCREEN FROM YOUTUBE There has been fierce fighting in the Gaza Strip in recent days. Videos on social media show almost continuous rocket fire from Gaza. On Wednesday evening, Israeli media reports that rockets from Gaza have hit buildings in Ashkelon and Sdero inside Israel. No one should be dead after this. Here, a rocket from Gaza hit Ashkelon, Israel. Several Palestinians said, according to the BBC, that the fighting began with several loud explosions in southern Gaza. The Egyptian TV channel Extra News reported earlier on Wednesday about an immediate ceasefire, but Prime Minister Netanyahu rejects this. – It is not over yet, says Netanyahu. Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, on the other hand, confirmed earlier on Wednesday to KAN News that he had received an Egyptian draft ceasefire which is now being considered. Facts about the Gaza Strip * 360 square kilometer area bordering Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean. * Nearly 2 million inhabitants. * Occupied by Israel in 1967. * The Israelis withdrew in 2005, but imposed a strict blockade after Hamas won the elections in the Palestinian territories in 2006. * Israel has carried out three major military offensives against the enclave since 2008, with heavy humanitarian and material losses destruction as a result. Prepared for more battles Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a press conference on Wednesday evening together with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Gallant says that the attacks are not over, and that they are prepared that they can be extended, writes Haaretz. – I hope we will end it soon, but we are prepared that it may be extended. We will do what is necessary to protect civilians, says Gallant. Claimed many lives Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip has claimed 22 lives in the last two days. The vast majority have been civilians. The youngest victim was a four-year-old girl. A father carries his daughter to her funeral. The Palestinian girl Lianne Mdoukh was killed in the rocket attacks. Photo: Reuters The attacks from Israel continued today. The Israeli army said today that 270 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel. Several were also injured as they fled to shelters in Israel, where most of the rockets have been shot down before hitting civilian areas. – Not interested in war Militant groups in Gaza, which are controlled by Hamas, warned in a joint statement after Wednesday’s escalation that “if Israel increases its aggression, dark days await”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they were “ready for an extended campaign and harsh strikes against Gaza”. These pictures of rocket attacks are taken from the Israeli army and are supposed to be from 10 May. The video will show several places on the Gaza Strip. A spokesman for the Israeli defense leadership emphasized on Wednesday that Israel was not looking for a major conflict with Hamas, which has power in the Gaza Strip. The goal is exclusively Islamic holy war, said Danny Hagari. – Our actions are only an attempt to prevent further escalation. Israel is not interested in war, he says. Facts about Israeli occupation During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel occupied the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan and the Golan Heights from Syria. In 1979, Israel concluded a peace treaty with Egypt and withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula. As a result of the Oslo Agreement in 1993, the Palestinians gained political and security control over 18 percent of the West Bank. Israeli forces nevertheless operate regularly in these areas and decide who is allowed in and out. In 22 percent of the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority and Israel share security responsibility, while Israel has full military control in the remaining area. Israel has established 132 settlements in violation of international law in the occupied territories of the West Bank, and a further 32 on the Golan Heights. Israel also largely controls the water resources and infrastructure in the West Bank. In 2005, Israel withdrew its forces from the Gaza Strip and dismantled the settlements that had been established there. The area has since been under siege, and Israel still controls the airspace and coast beyond. After the elections in the Palestinian territories in 2006, in which Hamas emerged victorious, Israel introduced a blockade of the Gaza Strip, and the UN still considers the area to be occupied by Israel. In repeated resolutions, the UN Security Council has demanded Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. Israel has never complied with UN resolutions and, thanks to the US veto in the Security Council, has avoided punitive measures. Source: NTB Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was in contact with the UN, Egypt and Qatar on Wednesday in an attempt to end the Israeli attacks, a spokesman said. The attacks from Israel in recent days are said to be the most extensive since August 2022. Then 49 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks over the course of three days. No one was killed or injured on the Israeli side.
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