Israel has closed the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza after Hamas fired rockets from within the strip. Israel said the attack killed three of its soldiers, injuring several others. The crossing is one of the few routes to get humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies, into Gaza.Mediators in Egypt have held two days of talks aimed at securing a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
In a statement, Hamas said the latest round had ended on Sunday and that its delegation would now travel from Cairo to Qatar to consult with the group's leadership. The CIA chief William Burns, who has also been involved in mediation efforts, has also left the Egyptian capital for talks in Doha, according to reports. The truce proposal is believed to involve a 40-day pause in fighting while hostages are released, and the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails.
"The state of Israel cannot accept this [Hamas's demands], we are not prepared to accept a situation in which the Hamas brigades come out of their bunkers, take control of Gaza again, rebuild their military infrastructure, and return to threatening the citizens of Israel in the settlements surrounding the southern mountains, in all parts of the country. "This will be a terrible defeat for the state of Israel," he added.
The war began after waves of Hamas gunmen stormed across Gaza's border into Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. The group is proscribed as a terrorist organization by many Western countries. During the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza, more than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and over 77,900 wounded, according to figures from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
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