The Israeli air force continued to pound the Gaza Strip with strikes on Wednesday, and Hamas fighters continued to attack Israeli soldiers, a further indication that this week's United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire fire had failed to convince both sides while attempts because an agreement seemed to be faltering.
In the two days since the UN resolution passed on Monday, the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, have said they continue to carry out attacks against Israeli soldiers. The Israeli military said Wednesday that warplanes had struck dozens of targets over the previous day, including tunnels, military bases and militants.
Israel has been vocal in its condemnation of the Security Council resolution, which called for a ceasefire for the remaining weeks of Ramadan that would lead to a “lasting and sustainable” suspension of fighting and the unconditional release of all hostages held by the militants. in Gaza. The United States, which had vetoed previous attempts, abstained, allowing the resolution to pass.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Senator Rick Scott, Republican of Florida, in Jerusalem on Wednesday and continued to express defiance of the US decision. He argued, according to a statement from his office, that this encourages “Hamas to take a hard line and to believe that international pressure will prevent Israel from releasing the hostages and destroying Hamas.”
Israel and Hamas appear no closer to negotiating an end to the fighting, as significant gaps remain between them.
On Wednesday, three Palestinian human rights groups said there had been an intensification of Israeli shelling of Rafah in the previous 72 hours, killing dozens of people. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people from Gaza are taking refuge there. Some of the attacks described by the groups occurred after the Security Council resolution was passed, while many others occurred before.
Gaza authorities reported on Wednesday that Civil Defense teams had pulled Palestinians from the rubble after attacks in the northern Gaza neighborhood of Jabaliya, although the timing was unclear.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams collected the bodies of two people killed by artillery fire in the Nuseirat neighborhood.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports.
Hamas said it hit a soldier in the area surrounding Gaza City's Al-Shifa hospital with sniper fire on Wednesday afternoon, after saying on Tuesday it had targeted two Israeli tanks in the Khan Younis area , an armored vehicle and a soldier. on the north-south coastal road.
Since early last week, Israeli forces have raided Al-Shifa in what the military said was an attempt to crack down on Hamas. Humanitarian organizations expressed alarm at the situation in the medical facility which, together with the surrounding area, was home to thousands of people.
Over the past 48 hours, the Qassam Brigades also released videos showing militants firing at Israeli forces, but it was unclear when the videos were taken.