Fighting in the Gaza conflict continues – ceasefire talks falter

Despite intense efforts to negotiate a ceasefire, the recent fighting in the Middle East appears to be unstoppable. On Saturday, the Israeli air force struck several targets of the Palestinian militant organization Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip for the fifth consecutive day. Among them were command centers, hidden missile launchers and launch sites, as the military announced. Militant Palestinians, for their part, fired numerous rockets at Israel. A Palestinian from the Gaza Strip was killed in an attack on the Israeli side, the army said. So he had a permit to work in Israel. Another Gaza resident was seriously injured.

Talks about a cease-fire are faltering

Attempts to mediate by Egypt failed. As both sides continued to escalate the situation, talks are not progressing, Egyptian security sources said on Saturday. Islamic Jihad said rocket fire would continue in the face of Israel’s continued attacks. The organization was “prepared for a month-long confrontation”.

Israel Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi has reportedly said that Israel is currently focused on fighting jihad rather than a ceasefire. Nevertheless, he praised Egypt’s efforts and assured Israel that it was also in Israel’s interest to end the violence quickly. Rest is answered with rest. However, Israel would not respond to the jihad’s request to stop the targeted killings.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale military offensive against Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip since Tuesday. According to the army, more than 370 positions have been attacked so far and specifically six senior members have been killed. Jihad is the second most powerful military force in the Gaza Strip after Hamas and aims to destroy Israel. According to the military, the militant Palestinians fired more than 1,200 rockets and mortar shells at Israel in recent days, 970 of which crossed the border.

Rising casualties

Since the beginning of the Israeli military offensive, 33 people, including six children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip. More than 140 were injured. According to the Israeli army, four civilians were killed by misplaced jihadist missiles. This could not be independently verified at first. An 80-year-old woman was killed in Israel on Thursday when a rocket hit her.

No everyday life in Gaza and in the border area

The streets of the Gaza Strip were largely deserted on Saturday. Public facilities remained closed. Bakeries, pharmacies and supermarkets provided the population with the basic necessities of life. The Gaza Strip Energy Authority warned that the strip’s only power plant could close on Monday due to a lack of fuel. Israeli authorities closed the border crossings into Gaza on Tuesday. Since then, no fuel deliveries have been possible.

More than two million people live in the Gaza Strip in appalling conditions. Hamas violently seized power in the Palestinian territories in 2007. Israel then tightened a blockade of the coastal area, which is backed by Egypt.

In Israel, residents of the border area are still instructed to stay near shelters. Several events have also been canceled due to the fighting, including the main weekly rally against the controversial government reform. It is the first Saturday in about four months without a mass demonstration. With the judicial reform, the government wants to limit the influence of the Supreme Court and increase its own position of power. In addition, a concert by the Backstreet Boys near Tel Aviv that was scheduled for Saturday was cancelled. (sda/dpa)