Islamic Jihad

Israeli airstrikes targeted areas in Rafah on Thursday, as reported by Palestinian residents, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed US President Joe Biden's warning of withholding weapons from Israel if it attacks the southern Gaza city.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a truce proposal backed by Hamas, citing its misalignment with Israel's demands. The announcement followed Hamas's endorsement of a specific ceasefire proposal, which Israeli negotiators deem insufficient compared to previously discussed options.

Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel on Saturday. The Israeli military says Iran fired more than 100 bomb-carrying drones toward Israel. Hours later, Iran announced it had also launch much more destructive ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said Monday the Israeli military had withdrawn tanks and vehicles from the complex housing the besieged territory's main hospital, Al-Shifa, days after the launch of a major operation on the site as deadly airstrikes pounded Gaza.

Concern grew on Friday for civilians trapped by fighting around Khan Yunis in Gaza's south, with the top U.N. court set to rule in a case against Israel over alleged genocidal acts in its campaign against Hamas.

The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell late Friday accused Israel of having "created" and "financed" the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which launched unprecedented attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.

The two Al Jazeera journalists killed in one of the Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday were "terrorist operatives" linked to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad, the Israeli military said, quoted by AFP.

About 150,000 Palestinians have been forced to leave areas in the central part of the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli forces' offensive against the refugee camps in this area continues. The number of victims of the conflict is growing, reports from the Palestinian side.

Israel announced that it had detained hundreds of Hamas representatives. The radical Islamist movement accuses the Jewish state of executions without trial and sentence, BTA reported.

Israel bombed southern Gaza's main city on Monday after Hamas warned no Israeli hostages would leave the territory alive unless its demands for prisoner releases were met.

Hamas triggered the conflict when the group carried out the deadliest-ever attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures, and taking about 240 hostages back to Gaza.