Amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Sunday, 5 November that significant strikes have been carried out and the Gaza Strip has been ‘cut into two’.
The Army spokesperson said that the Israeli forces have encircled Gaza City and “now there exists a south Gaza and a north Gaza".
Health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza said more than 9,770 Palestinians have been killed in the war, which began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 240 hostage.
Israel said 31 of its soldiers have been killed so far.
According to a report from The Times of Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire until the Hamas militant group releases the hostages it is currently holding.
“Take this (word 'ceasefire') out of the lexicon. We will continue until we defeat them; we do not have an alternative," Netanyahu is quoted saying in a statement from his office.
Evacuvation From Gaza to Egypt Halted
Efforts were underway on 5 November to resume evacuations of foreign nationals and injured Gazans through the Rafah crossing to Egypt, suspended since 4 November after an attack on an ambulance, Egyptian, US and Qatari officials said.
The Rafah crossing to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula is the only exit point from Gaza not controlled by Israel. Aid trucks were still able to travel into Gaza, two Egyptian sources said.
Blinken Met President Mahmoud Abbas
Meanwhile, on 5 November, US diplomat Antony Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah and then travelled on to Iraq.
Blinken said the Palestinian Authority should play a central role in the future of the Gaza Strip, a U.S. official said after the West Bank visit.
Blinken has been discussing efforts to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading and continues to push for a pause in the fighting.
The BBC's Anthony Zurcher points out he is trying to find a middle ground where none currently exists. The Israeli PM has rejected the idea of a humanitarian pause for now, while Israel's Arab neighbour's have been calling for an immediate ceasefire.
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