TEL AVIV: Israeli aircraft struck an armed Hamas squad in central Gaza that was about to attack soldiers, the Israel Defense Forces said on Monday morning.
Separately, Israeli forces in northern Gaza eliminated a terror cell that had fired on them. Soldiers returned fire, killing one of the terrorists. The troops then directed an aircraft that struck and killed the remaining terrorists. Afterwards, an Israeli fighter jet struck the military compound in which the terrorist cell had operated.
On Sunday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas's terms for surrender. According to Hebrew media reports, Hamas offered to release all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war, the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, and international guarantees that it would continue to rule Gaza afterward.
"If we agree to this, our soldiers have fallen in vain. If we agree to this, we will not be able to guarantee the security of our citizens. We will not be able to return the evacuees safely to their homes, and the next October 7 will only be a matter of time," Netanyahu said.
At least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. The number of men, women, children, soldiers and foreigners held captive in Gaza by Hamas is now believed to be 136. Other people remain unaccounted for as Israeli authorities continue to identify bodies and search for human remains.