The foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain have called for an “immediate return” to a Gaza ceasefire as Israel intensifies its offensive against Hamas.
“The resumption of Israeli strikes in Gaza marks a dramatic step backward for the people of Gaza. We are appalled by the civilian casualties and urgently call for an immediate return to a ceasefire,” the ministers said in a joint statement.
Their appeal follows a warning from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who on Friday threatened to annex parts of the Gaza Strip if Hamas does not release the remaining Israeli hostages.
Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, France’s Jean-Noël Barrot, and Britain’s David Lammy also urged all parties to resume negotiations to secure a lasting ceasefire. They emphasized that Hamas must release the remaining hostages and insisted that the group “must neither govern Gaza nor be a threat to Israel anymore.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet have announced the killing of Osama Tabash, the chief of Hamas’s military intelligence in southern Gaza, in an Israeli airstrike. Tabash was also the head of Hamas’s surveillance and targets unit, making him a key figure in the group’s intelligence and operational structure.
Tabash was a veteran member of Hamas, regarded as a “significant source of knowledge” within the organization. Over the years, he held various key positions, including battalion commander in Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade. According to the IDF and Shin Bet, he played a crucial role in directing attacks, including a 2005 suicide bombing at the Gush Katif junction in the Gaza Strip that killed Shin Bet coordinator Oded Sharon.
As the intelligence chief for southern Gaza, Tabash was responsible for “formulating Hamas’s combat strategy on the ground, coordinating Hamas’s intelligence in southern Gaza, and managing their activities in the area,” the joint IDF-Shin Bet statement said.
Also Read: Israeli Strikes Across Gaza Kill At Least 58 Palestinians: Report
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has warned of a severe response after three rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel on Saturday morning. The Israeli military confirmed that all three rockets were intercepted, and no casualties were reported. Air raid sirens were triggered in the border town of Metula around 7:30 AM (0530 GMT).
"We cannot allow fire from Lebanon on Galilee communities," Katz stated, holding the Lebanese government responsible for attacks from its territory. He emphasized that Israel would retaliate accordingly, saying, “Metula’s fate is the same as Beirut’s.”
"The resumption of Israeli strikes in Gaza marks a dramatic step backward for the people of Gaza, the hostages, their families and the entire region. We are appalled by the civilian casualties and urgently call for an immediate return to a ceasefire. We call on all parties to re-engage with negotiations to ensure the ceasefire is implemented in full and becomes permanent. This must include Hamas releasing the hostages that they have cruelly detained and persistently refuse to release. All Israelis and Palestinians have a right to peace and security. We call on all those with influence over Hamas to use that...
World
India
