Israel's Defense Chief Says War with Hamas Focused on Khan Younis
Israel's defense chief has said the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip is focused on the southern city of Khan Younis, and warned it will take months to achieve the Israeli government's stated goal of destroying the Palestinian militant group. But there was rising hope Wednesday that cease-fire talks could soon be back underway, as Hamas' top political leader arrived in Egypt and Israel indicated it was willing to negotiate another pause in the fighting in exchange for Hamas freeing more hostages.
Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' top leader based at its political office in Qatar, arrived Wednesday in Cairo to meet Egypt's spy chief for a discussion on the "aggression in the Gaza Strip and other matters," according to a statement released by Hamas.
Hope for a new Israel-Hamas cease-fire
The Washington Post reported, meanwhile, that Israel was considering a pause in the fighting that could be extended for up to two weeks as it looks to enter the next, more focused phase of its war with Hamas, which was sparked by the militant group's brutal Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel.
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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of the roughly 130 hostages still believed to be captive in Gaza on Tuesday that he'd twice sent the head of the Mossad spy agency to Europe for discussions intended to "free our hostages." The head of Mossad met in Poland Monday with CIA chief William Burns, among other officials.
"It's our duty, I'm responsible for the release of all the hostages," Netanyahu told the families on Tuesday, calling the hostages' rescue "a supreme task" and vowing that he would "spare no effort on the subject, and our duty is to bring them all back."
Pressure mounts as Gaza death toll soars
As discussions in Cairo begin, the international community is increasing pressure for a new cease-fire in Gaza. The U.N. Security Council is set to vote on a binding resolution later today, which could pass if the U.S. does not block it. However, the timing and prospects of a new cease-fire remain uncertain.
On the ground in Gaza, the war continues. In the city of Khan Younis, where Israel is focusing its battle against Hamas, there is deep grief after another Israeli missile strike.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, the number of Palestinians killed since the war began is nearing 20,000, with hundreds killed in the past few days alone.
Israel claims to be targeting only terrorists and accuses Hamas of hiding weapons and fighters in civilian neighborhoods. However, as the bombs continue to fall, no one, regardless of age, is safe. The dead and injured are overwhelming the remaining hospitals in the south of Gaza.
"I lost two grandchildren," said Suzan Zourob as she carried the body of an infant. She explained that the baby was killed in a strike before their birth could even be registered.
CBS News producer Marwan al-Ghoul witnessed the aftermath of an airstrike that left a massive crater in the ground and at least 19 people dead.
One little girl at the scene told CBS News, "Glass shattered over us. We ran out of our home."
Israeli Strikes Continue in Gaza
"What crime have our children done to deserve to be killed?" begged Umm Walid al-Azayza amid the rubble of another Israeli strike on the nearby city of Rafah. "The house fell on us. What is our crime?"
Israel's military said Wednesday that it struck more than "300 terror targets" in the previous day alone across Gaza, as the war continued into its 75th day.
The Israel Defense Forces have said their goal is to dismantle and destroy Hamas, but that rescuing the remaining hostages is also a priority.
Two of the 129 captives still believed to be in Gaza appeared in a new proof-of-life video released late Tuesday by Hamas' ally, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. It was the second such video released by Palestinian militants in two days, intensifying pressure on Israel to strike a new deal amid rising fear that its military campaign is putting the captives' lives in danger.
