Israel has vowed to continue the war until it destroys Hamas’ military capabilities...
On Wednesday mm Israeli Cabinet approves cease-fire with Hamas that includes the release of some 50 hostages held by militants.
Israel and Hamas on Tuesday appeared close to a deal to temporarily halt their devastating war for dozens of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip to be freed in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his Cabinet for a vote, he vowed to resume the Israeli offensive against Hamas as soon as the truce ends. “We are at war, and we will continue the war,” he said. “We will continue until we achieve all our goals.”
The Israeli Cabinet was expected to vote on a plan that would halt Israel’s offensive in Gaza for several days in exchange for the release of about 50 of the 240 hostages held by Hamas. Israel has vowed to continue the war until it destroys Hamas’ military capabilities and returns all hostages. The Cabinet meeting continued into the early hours of Wednesday.
Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah militia said five of its members were killed in its stronghold of Jurf al-Sakhar south of Baghdad in U.S. strikes that Washington said came in response to attacks by Iran-aligned militias against their forces in the region.
The U.S. carried out two series of strikes in Iraq on Tuesday and Wednesday local time, its first publicly reported responses in Iraqi territory to dozens of recent attacks and a sign of escalation in the regional conflict tied to the Israel-Gaza war.
The attacks began on Oct. 17 and have been linked by Iraqi militia groups to U.S. support for Israel in its bombardment of Gaza following attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel.
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