Chaotic situation in Gaza, Israeli forces attack Jabalia refugee camp

On Sunday, Israeli forces clashed with Hamas militants as they tried to enter the largest refugee camp in Gaza.

Today, the newspaper "Washington Post" announced that American mediators were close to an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release dozens of women and children held hostage by the militants, in exchange for a five-day pause in the fighting. Doing so would help increase aid deliveries to the civilian population of Gaza. The newspaper cited people familiar with the matter.

A day ago, the "Washington Post" announced that a preliminary agreement had been reached, but this was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and American officials. A White House spokesman said efforts were continuing to reach an agreement.

The militant group, which the United States has designated a terrorist organization, took about 240 people hostage on October 7, the day it attacked Israel's southern border.

On Sunday, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told a news conference in Doha that the issues currently blocking a deal to release the hostages were "very minor," mostly practical and logistical issues, he said.

The delicate talks over the hostage issue coincide with Israel's preparations to expand its offensive against Hamas in the densely populated southern half of Gaza.

Israeli forces say they have taken control of a large swath of territory to the north, northwest and east around Gaza City.

Witnesses reported heavy fighting overnight between Hamas and Israeli ground forces that were trying to advance on Jabalia, the region's largest camp, home to about 100,000 people.

Jabalia has been the target of repeated Israeli bombings that have killed many civilians, Palestinian doctors say, but Israeli authorities say the attacks have killed many militants sheltering there.

Early Sunday morning, the Israeli army called on residents of several neighborhoods adjacent to Jabalia to leave for southern Gaza "to be safe." They posted messages in Arabic on social media platform X.

But most of Jabalia's residents have rejected previous Israeli calls to move south.

After the bloody attack on October 7, in which about 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas. October 7 is considered the bloodiest day in the country's 75-year history.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health of Gaza announced that the number of victims as a result of Israeli attacks has reached 12,300 people, including 5,000 children./VOA