Israeli attacks kill dozens of Palestinians as hope for cease-fire dims

[KARAH RUCKER]

ISRAELI ATTACKS WEDNESDAY KILLED MORE THAN TWO DOZEN PALESTINIANS AS HOPE FOR A CEASEFIRE DIMS.

AN ISRAELI STRIKE REPORTEDLY KILLED FIVE PALESTINIANS IN THE WEST BANK WHILE A SEPARATE STRIKE IN GAZA KILLED AT LEAST 20 PEOPLE–

INCLUDING 16 WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

ISRAEL SAYS THE STRIKES WERE LAUNCHED TO TAKE OUT MEMBERS OF HAMAS.

THE DEATHS COME A DAY AFTER ANOTHER ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE KILLED 19 PEOPLE IN A DESIGNATED HUMANITARIAN ZONE. THE ISRAEL MILITARY SAID THE ATTACK WAS ON A HAMAS COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER LOCATED IN THE ZONE.

THE HAMAS-CONTROLLED GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY SAYS MORE THAN 40-THOUSAND PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE THE START OF THE WAR– SPURRED BY THE OCTOBER 7TH ATTACK BY HAMAS THAT KILLED 12-HUNDRED ISRAELIS AND SAW 250 TAKEN HOSTAGE– MANY OF WHOM HAMAS HAS SINCE KILLED.

EFFORTS ARE STILL UNDERWAY TO FREE THE REMAINING 101 HOSTAGES.

ISRAEL IS REPORTEDLY OFFERING HAMAS LEADER YAHYA SINWAR, WHOM ISRAEL SEES AS THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE OCTOBER 7TH MASSACRE, AND HIS FAMILY A SAFE ROUTE OUT OF GAZA–  IN EXCHANGE FOR ABDUCTEES STILL HELD BY THE TERRORIST GROUP AND GIVING UP CONTROL OF THE GAZA STRIP.

ISRAEL HOSTAGE ENVOY GAL HIRSCH REVEALED THE NEGOTIATIONS TUESDAY.

SAYING “WE WANT DEMILITARIZATION, DE-RADICALIZATION OF COURSE– A NEW SYSTEM THAT WILL MANAGE GAZA.”

HE ALSO REVEALED ISRAEL WOULD RELEASE PRISONERS IT HOLDS AS PART OF ANY DEAL.

IT’S NOT YET KNOWN IF SINWAR IS CONSIDERING THE OFFER, GIVEN ISRAEL’S HISTORY OF TARGETING TERRORIST LEADERS ABROAD AND HAMAS’ RECENT EXECUTION OF SIX ISRAELI HOSTAGES– WHICH HIRSCH VOWED RETALIATION FOR. 

HIRSCH’S EFFORTS ARE REPORTEDLY PART OF NEW SOLUTIONS TO GET ISRAELI CAPTIVES BACK AS HOPES OF SECURING A CEASEFIRE DIMINISH. 

THE U-S, QATAR AND EGYPT ARE WORKING OUT DETAILS OF A NEW CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL BUT HIRSCH CLAIMS HAMAS IS DICTATING TERMS RATHER THAN NEGOTIATING.

FOR MORE ON ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS– AND ONGOING CEASEFIRE TALKS– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.