Israel kills additional suspected Hamas perpetrators – situation in Gaza

Background: More than 2,000 suspects considered still at large

According to Israeli sources, the operations also took place in the vicinity of Deir al-Balah, a city in the center of the coastal area that has repeatedly been the target of military operations in recent months. Eyewitnesses on the ground reported heavy detonations and evacuations in adjacent residential neighborhoods. International aid organizations once again pointed to the difficult humanitarian situation of the civilian population.

Family members living in Gaza spoke out via social media, saying they had not received confirmation of the whereabouts of their sons or brothers. The Palestinian side frequently speaks of killed civilians in comparable cases and calls for independent investigations. An official list of those killed has not been presented.

The Israeli government justifies the approach with the right to self-defense and the goal of permanently weakening Hamas's military structures. Military spokespeople emphasize that the operations are targeted against individuals who, according to intelligence findings, played a direct role in the massacre of October 7. Critics accuse the army of having a low and non-transparent threshold for classification as a "perpetrator."

Retaliation and ceasefire – negotiations stall

Hamas has so far not commented on the recent killings in an official statement. In recent months, the Islamist organization had repeatedly confirmed the loss of individual commanders and simultaneously announced retaliation. According to observers, tensions between Israel and Hamas remain high, and negotiations on a comprehensive ceasefire are making only slow progress.

The question of a longer-term ceasefire is closely linked to the fate of the suspected perpetrators still being sought. While Israel insists on their detention or elimination, international mediators are pushing for an exchange for Israeli hostages who are said to still be held by Hamas. An agreement on the scope of such an exchange is still pending.

International demand for independent review

International observers, including representatives of the United Nations, have once again called in recent days for an independent review of the Israeli information on killed Hamas members. Without such reviews, it remains unclear how many of those killed were actually involved on October 7 and how many of the victims were civilians.

Parallel to the military operations, preparations are underway, according to Israeli statements, for a possible new phase of the offensive should the talks on a ceasefire fail. Should an agreement be reached, diplomats assess that a larger exchange of prisoners and hostages as well as increased humanitarian access for the suffering population in Gaza would be possible.

The total number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7 is cited by the Health Ministry in Gaza as several tens of thousands, although the figures do not distinguish between fighters and civilians. Independent observers consider the magnitude plausible but also see a need for a more precise breakdown.

Reporting on the war is made more difficult by the ongoing conflict between Israeli and international media. Independent reporting from Gaza by foreign journalists has been severely restricted for months, and much information comes secondhand or from official sources on both sides.