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Israeli Escalation in Gaza: Security Restrictions, Airstrikes, and Negotiation Deadlock
On Saturday, the Israeli military announced the imposition of strict security restrictions on the maritime area adjacent to the Gaza Strip, a move that further escalates ongoing military tensions in the region.
In the context of the escalation, medical sources reported the deaths of 18 Palestinians since early today due to Israeli airstrikes targeting various areas across the Strip. This included a strike on a residential apartment in central Gaza, resulting in two deaths and injuries among civilians, along with airstrikes on Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in the southern Gaza. Additionally, heavy Israeli gunfire was reported in eastern Gaza, leading to further injuries among the local population.
On the political front, informed Palestinian sources indicated that ceasefire talks are facing obstacles due to Israel’s insistence on presenting a withdrawal map that maintains approximately 40% of Gaza under its military control, which Hamas refuses.
One source told AFP that “the Doha negotiations are facing difficulties because Israel insists on a withdrawal map that doesn’t involve actual withdrawal, but involves staying in more than 40% of Gaza.” The source added that “Israel continues a policy of procrastination and disruption of the agreement, in an attempt to prolong the war and carry out ethnic cleansing,” as he described.
The situation in Gaza remains continuously escalated, followed by deadlocks in political efforts to achieve lasting calm, amidst rising military and political tensions in the region.
