FIERCE fighting has been continuing across the Gaza Strip after hopes were raised over the weekend for another ceasefire and hostage release deal.
In the past day, there’ve been deadly Israeli air strikes from the north to the south of Gaza. Attacks on the Jabalia refugee camp are said to have killed 90 people, according to local health officials.
Israel says it goes to great lengths to avoid hitting civilians. But the mistaken killing of three of its own hostages carrying a white flag on Friday has added to international and domestic pressure for another ceasefire deal which could free some of the 120 others still believed to be held captive in Gaza by Hamas.
Israel is also expected to face pressure to scale back its major combat operations when US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visits later.
At the UN Security Council, the US is said to be seeking to tone down the words of a new draft resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities to allow greater humanitarian access.
In response to calls from Washington, Israel has now opened its Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza for the first time since the outbreak of the war, in a move intended to increase the amount of food and medicine reaching Gazans.
Meanwhile, Gaza health officials say at least 90 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza. The strikes hit a residential block housing two families, the health ministry said.
The BBC was unable to confirm the toll.
There’s been no immediate comment from Israel, which insists it is targeting what it called Hamas infrastructure.
