Hamas says response to Israeli ceasefire offer still being prepared

A senior Hamas official told AFP on Wednesday that the group is still preparing its response to an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire and hos...

A senior Hamas official told AFP on Wednesday that the group is still preparing its response to an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.

"The movement's response is still in preparation, and we affirm that there is no room for any partial deal," said Mahmoud Mardawi, insisting that the group's "weapons will not be subject to any negotiations".

The Israeli military has launched a series of heavy airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, striking makeshift tent shelters and civilian areas.

Multiple strikes were reported in Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah, while continuous bombardments were heard in eastern Gaza, accompanied by the use of illumination flares to support ground operations, particularly in Gaza City.

In a separate incident in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, at least seven Palestinians were confirmed dead following an Israeli airstrike on a tent belonging to the Asaliya family.

Initial reports cited two fatalities, but the death toll later rose, with most victims identified as children, according to the Quds News Network and the Palestinian Information Center.

The intensified military activity follows a noticeable escalation since the early hours of the morning. The targeting of tented shelters housing displaced residents has raised further concerns over the protection of civilians in ongoing hostilities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday instructed his negotiating team to continue the steps to advance the release of hostages still being held in Gaza.

"The prime minister issued directives for the continuation of the steps to advance the release of our hostages," his office said in a statement, adding that he held an assessment on the issue with the negotiating team and the heads of the security establishment.

Stephanie Tremblay, associate spokesperson for the UN chief, says “our humanitarian partners” estimate about 500,000 people in Gaza have been “newly displaced or uprooted once more” since Israel broke the Gaza ceasefire on March 18, Arab media reported, citing a statement.

“This is in addition to the hundreds of thousands of people repeatedly displaced prior to the ceasefire,” she told reporters.