Gaza, US asks Israel to postpone large-scale offensive

Escalation continues: 38 dead in 24 hours, Houthi missile attack on Israel, Spain calls for sanctions

As the Israeli army intensifies its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, the US has asked Israel to postpone its large-scale land military operation. Two informed sources told the Jerusalem Post that the American request is aimed at facilitating the ongoing negotiations for the release of the hostages. Washington reportedly urged a two-pronged approach: postponement of the offensive and parallel continuation of the talks.

Despite the pressure, Israel has reiterated that once the ground operation has begun, it will not withdraw from the occupied areas, not even in the event of an agreement. An eventual ceasefire, Jerusalem sources warn, would become much more complex to implement.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza continues to rise. In the last 24 hours, according to the local health ministry, at least 38 Palestinians have been killed and 204 wounded as a result of Israeli raids. The number does not include the deaths recorded in the north of the Strip, where access to hospitals is still limited. In Jabalia, five people died under the rubble of a collapsed house, while a drone hit the tents of displaced people west of Nuseirat causing another casualty.

The Israeli army claimed to have conducted more than 100 attacks in the last 24 hours as part of what it calls a “new push” to crush Hamas. Since 7 October 2023, the start of the conflict, the overall death toll has reportedly risen to 53,939 dead and 122,797 wounded. Since the resumption of the offensive on 18 March alone, there have been at least 3,785 dead and over 10,700 injured.

In the same hours, air warnings also went off in the southern West Bank, near the Dead Sea and in the Jerusalem area, following the launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen. The IDF confirmed the interception of the device, attributing it to pro-Iranian Houthi rebels. Shortly before the alert, civilians had received a push alert on their mobile phones. According to Israeli forces, the Houthis have launched 39 ballistic missiles and at least 10 drones towards Israel since 18 March.

In a statement on X, the Yemeni rebels claimed the attack, speaking of a “hypersonic ballistic missile” aimed at Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion airport. According to them, the attack reached its target, causing panic and a temporary halt to airport activities. The Houthis also declared their “continuous ban on air traffic” to Lod airport, claiming that some companies have already suspended flights to Israel.

Meanwhile, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called on the international community to consider sanctions against Israel to end the conflict. Speaking on the sidelines of the Madrid summit, which brought together 20 European and Arab countries, as well as the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Albares called the current offensive “aimless” and called for a political solution, including unrestricted access to humanitarian aid.

“It cannot be Israel that decides who can eat and who cannot,” he said, criticising the blockade on aid and pointing out that the European Union has already started to review the cooperation agreement with Tel Aviv.

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