On Tuesday, Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, announced that it had launched two “M90” rockets targeting Tel Aviv and its surrounding suburbs. According to the Israeli Air Force, one of the rockets crossed into Israeli territory, landing in the maritime space in central Israel without triggering any policy alerts. The second rocket failed to cross into Israeli territory.
Residents of Tel Aviv reported hearing explosions, but no casualties were reported, as confirmed by Israeli media outlets.
As tensions continue to escalate, Hamas remains firm in its stance that ongoing Gaza truce talks should focus on an already-discussed deal with Israel and international mediators. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday resulted in the deaths of 19 Palestinians in the central and southern Gaza Strip, according to local medical sources.
The United States expressed optimism on Monday, stating that it expects peace talks scheduled for Thursday to proceed as planned, with a ceasefire agreement still considered possible. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to embark on a diplomatic mission to Qatar, Egypt, and Israel on Tuesday to facilitate discussions.
Israel has confirmed that it will send a delegation to participate in Thursday’s talks. However, Hamas, which has governed Gaza prior to the recent conflict, is pushing for a clear plan to implement a previously accepted proposal rather than engaging in further negotiations.
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Earlier, the Israeli military confirmed that Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif was killed in a strike carried out last month in the southern Gaza area of Khan Yunis. This follows the earlier announcement by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hamas regarding the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
In a statement, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) declared, “On July 13th, 2024, IDF fighter jets conducted a strike in the Khan Yunis area. Based on intelligence assessments, we can confirm that Mohammed Deif was killed in this operation.”
The military accused Deif of orchestrating and executing the October 7 massacre and a Hamas attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people.
