The explosion shook Gaza City, and the sky before dawn lit up orange flares. According to reports, the central town of Deir al-Balah and the southern town of Khan Younis were hit by bombs. As the sun rose, residents investigated the ruins of at least five family houses destroyed by Khan Younis. Commercial corridors in Gaza City were also hit by air strikes.

The Israeli military said it attacked the residences of at least three Hamas commanders in Khan Younis and Rafah and targeted “military infrastructure” and weapons at a house in Gaza City Storage unit.

Since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, hundreds of people have been killed in the most tragic battle. US President Joe Biden told Israel on Wednesday that he expects a “significant decline today on the road to a ceasefire”, but Netanyahu avoided saying, “Determined to continue this operation until its goal is reached.” This marked the first public rift between two close allies since the beginning of the battle, and in the early days of Biden’s tenure. The U.S.-Israel relationship was put to a difficult test.

However, Egyptian intelligence officials said that the ceasefire is likely to take place on Thursday or early Friday after the United States appealed to support Cairo’s own efforts to stop fighting. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity and discussed subtle conversations.

Khalid Okasha, director of the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies, who has close ties with the government, also said that senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan may cease fire during this period.

During a visit to the region, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that Israel “has the right to defend itself against such unacceptable attacks.” But he also expressed concern about the increase in the number of civilian victims and his support for truce efforts.

Even though diplomatic efforts seemed to have intensified, an Israeli air strike destroyed and destroyed the two-story house of the Cavaldi family in Khan Younis. Neighbor Shaker al-Khozondar said all 11 residents who slept outside the house due to fear were injured and hospitalized.

The shrapnel also hit his home, killed his aunt, and wounded her daughter and two other relatives. Al-Khozondar speaks in Aunt Hoda’s bedroom after his death. The window was broken, and the pillows and rubble on the bed were covered with blood.

Weam Fares, a spokesman for a nearby hospital, confirmed the death and said at least 10 people were injured in the strike overnight.

The airstrike also hit a street in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, destroying nearby crumbling houses with corrugated metal roofs. The Israeli military said it attacked two underground launchers in the camp, which were used to fire rockets at Tel Aviv.

Ibrahim Afana, 44, said: “I have never seen such destruction in my life. We didn’t even step on slippers for three minutes,” he said. bombing. He said the army had called some residents to warn them of an impending strike. There were no reports of casualties.

The current battle between Israel and Hamas began on May 10, when militant groups launched into Jerusalem after several days of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound built on top of the Jewish sacred hill. Long-range rockets and Muslims in the holy city. The tactics adopted by the police in the compound and Jewish settlers threatened to expel dozens of Palestinian families have increased tensions.

Since then, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes, which are said to have targeted Hamas’ infrastructure, including a huge network of tunnels. Hamas and other militant groups living in residential areas fired more than 4,000 rockets into Israeli cities, hundreds of which were short of ammunition, and most of the rest were intercepted.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 230 Palestinians were killed, including 65 children and 39 women, and 1,710 were injured. Hamas and the militant group Islamic Jihad said at least 20 fighters were killed, while Israel said at least 130 fighters were killed. About 58,000 Palestinians fled their homes.

Twelve people were killed in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl and a soldier. The military said an anti-tank missile launched from Gaza on Thursday hit an empty vehicle near the border and slightly injured an Israeli soldier.

Since the beginning of the fighting, Gaza’s infrastructure has been weakened by the 14-year blockade, but it has rapidly deteriorated. The area has very few medical supplies, water and electricity and fuel. After Hamas consolidated its control of Gaza in 2007, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on it.

The World Health Organization says the Israeli attack has damaged at least 18 hospitals and clinics and destroyed a medical institution. Nearly half of all essential medicines have been used up.