Israel launches a new military operation in Gaza. Netanyahu tells negotiating team to stay at talks

By Ibrahim Hazboun and Samy Magdy Associated Press JERUSALEM Israel declared Saturday it launched a major military operation in the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas to release remaining hostages while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu narrated a negotiating company to remain in Qatar for indirect talks with the militant group Defense Minister Israel Katz mentioned Operation Gideon Chariots was being led with great force Netanyahu had vowed to escalate pressure with the aim of destroying the militant group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades The military operation in the Palestinian territory came a day after U S President Donald Trump concluded his Middle East trip without a visit to Israel There had been hope that his visit could increase the chances of a ceasefire deal or the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza which Israel has prevented for more than two months An Israel official disclosed that Netanyahu was in constant contact throughout the day with the negotiating unit in Doha Qatar and U S envoy Steve Witkoff and instructed the club to remain there The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn t authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations with the media Hamas which distributed an Israeli-American hostage as a goodwill gesture before Trump s trip insists on a deal that ends the war and leads to the withdrawal of Israeli forces something Israel explained that it won t agree to Israel s army revealed on social media it wouldn t stop until the hostages are returned and the militant group is dismantled Israel believes as various as hostages in Gaza are still alive although Israeli administration have expressed concern for the status of three of them More than people had been killed in Israeli strikes in the last hours according to Gaza s Fitness Ministry It disclosed more than have been killed since Israel broke a January ceasefire on March On Saturday afternoon an Israeli strike killed at least four children in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north according to al-Awda Hospital which received the bodies Seven others were wounded in the strike which hit a house A later strike in Jabaliya killed four the hospital declared This is unacceptable Until when Until we all die questioned a sweating Naji Awaisa as he and others fled Jabaliya with their belongings down streets lined with shattered buildings Smoke from airstrikes rose in the distance Airstrikes around Deir al-Balah in central Gaza killed people with the bodies arriving at al-Aqsa hospital One strike on a house killed eight people including parents and four children A strike hit outside a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City killing four the Gaza Physical condition Ministry s emergency provision mentioned There was no immediate Israeli comment on the strikes A separate comment noted that the military had killed dozens of fighters while dismantling an underground direction in northern Gaza Hundreds of protesters rallied Saturday night in Tel Aviv particular holding photos of Palestinian children killed in Gaza with others demanding a deal to end the war and bring all hostages home Let me be crystal clear All of Israeli society left right secular religious stands united in calling for a hostage deal To miss this moment for a deal would be a betrayal of history a stain that will never fade Dalia Kushnir-Horn sister-in-law of hostage Eitan Horn recounted the crowd Month of Israel s blockade Gaza is in the third month of an Israeli blockade with no food water fuel or other goods entering the territory of more than million people Food precaution experts say Gaza will be in famine if the blockade isn t lifted Earlier this week a new humanitarian organization that has U S backing to take over aid delivery commented that it expects to begin operations by the end of the month after what it described as key agreements with Israeli leaders The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation identified several U S military veterans former humanitarian coordinators and shield contractors to lead the effort A large number of in the humanitarian district including the U N explained that they won t participate because the system doesn t align with humanitarian principles and won t be able to meet the demands of Palestinians in Gaza Related Articles Trump envoy confirms that Hamas has agreed to release the last living US hostage in Gaza Gold palaces jet deals and McDonald s Donald Trump at home in Middle East California lawmakers pull ethnic studies bill introduce anti-discrimination bill Stanford declines to discuss Israeli divestment as hunger strike protestors vow to grow numbers Political indoctrination Parents claim ideological bias in college prep syllabus at California high school Tom Fletcher the U N humanitarian chief disclosed Friday that there s already an aid delivery plan with pallets of supplies ready to move It is ready to be activated the present day if we are absolutely allowed to do our jobs The war in Gaza began on Oct when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel killing people and abducting others Israel s retaliatory offensive has killed more than Palestinians a great number of of them women and children according to Gaza s Strength Ministry which doesn t differentiate between civilians and combatants Magdy published from Cairo Tia Goldenberg contributed to this document from Tel Aviv Israel Follow AP s war coverage at https apnews com hub israel-hamas-war