JERUSALEM. In the most severe blow to Israel’s forces since the beginning of the Gaza offensive, Palestinian militants executed the deadliest single attack, claiming the lives of 21 soldiers, the military reported on Tuesday. This incident, a significant setback, may intensify calls for a cease-fire.
Hours later, the military disclosed that ground forces had encircled the southern city of Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest. While marking a substantial advance, the impact on achieving Israel’s central war goals — defeating Hamas and freeing hostages — remains uncertain, especially as cease-fire talks gain momentum.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the soldiers, who died in an explosion triggered by a rocket-propelled grenade. Despite the setback, he pledged to press forward until “absolute victory,” revealing a growing division among Israelis on the feasibility of both crushing Hamas and securing the release of captives.
A senior Egyptian official revealed that Israel proposed a two-month cease-fire, suggesting the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and the relocation of top Hamas leaders in Gaza to other countries. However, Hamas rejected the proposal, insisting on releasing no more hostages until Israel ends its offensive and withdraws from Gaza. Israel’s government declined to comment on the ongoing talks.
Egypt and Qatar, past mediators between Israel and Hamas, are working on a multistage proposal to bridge the gaps. Families of the hostages are urging Israel to negotiate with Hamas, emphasizing the urgency of bringing their relatives home alive.
The offensive, initiated after Hamas crossed the border on October 7, has resulted in over 1,200 casualties, with more than 250 people abducted. Despite a weeklong cease-fire in November leading to the release of over 100 hostages, the conflict continues to inflict widespread death and destruction, displacing 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population, leaving a quarter facing starvation. Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have also attacked U.S. and Israeli targets in solidarity with the Palestinians.
The U.S. and Britain launched another round of strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who targeted international shipping in the Red Sea. Lebanon’s Hezbollah group reported firing rockets at a strategic military installation in northern Israel for the second time this month.
“One of the Hardest Days” for Israel
Israeli reservists, preparing explosives in the Maghazi refugee camp on Monday, suffered a tragic incident when a militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a nearby tank. The resulting blast triggered the explosives, causing two two-story buildings to collapse on the soldiers.
The death toll since the ground offensive began in late October has now reached at least 217 soldiers, including three killed in a separate event on Monday, according to the military. Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged on social media that it was “one of the hardest days” of the war but affirmed the commitment to continue the offensive.
“In this war, we are making big achievements, like the encircling of Khan Younis, and there are also very heavy losses,” he stated in a subsequent video message.
On Tuesday, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that hospitals received the bodies of 195 people killed in Israeli strikes in the previous 24 hours, along with 354 wounded. The death toll in the strip has now reached 25,490 since the war began, with an additional 63,354 wounded. The ministry’s count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
