“Nothing will stop us. We will go to the end, until victory.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised Thursday, December 14 to continue the fight against Hamas, despite “the great suffering” caused by military losses and “pressures” in favor of a ceasefire. On the ground, the Israeli army carried out strikes against the towns of the Palestinian enclave, Gaza City in the north, Nuseirat in the center and Rafah in the south, announced the Ministry of Health of the administration of Hamas. A raid was also carried out in Jenin, a stronghold of armed factions in the occupied West Bank, the ministry added. Follow our live stream.
More than 20 dead after these attacks. These shots caused the deaths of 19 Palestinians during Israeli strikes in Gaza City (north), Nuseirat (center) and Rafah (south), said the Hamas Ministry of Health. In Jenin, the Israeli raid left two people dead and others injured, said the Palestinian Authority health ministry. These figures, however, should be used with caution, as they are impossible to confirm independently. On the Israeli side, the army announced Wednesday the death of 115 soldiers in the Gaza Strip since the start of the offensive against Hamas, including 10 killed Tuesday, the heaviest death toll in a single day on the Israeli side.
Hamas ready to discuss. In a televised speech Ismaïl Haniyeh, head of Hamas, based in Qatar, said he was ready for discussions on “a political path that will ensure the right of Palestinians to an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital”. “Any arrangement in Gaza or regarding the Palestinian cause without Hamas or the resistance movements is an illusion”he stressed.
American visit to Israel. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected Thursday and Friday in Jerusalem for talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu. It will notably discuss the need to carry out strikes “more surgical and more precise in order to reduce civilian casualties” in Gaza, said John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council. President Joe Biden spoke of “indiscriminate bombings” and a possible “erosion” Western support for Israel.