Daijiworld Media Network - Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv, May 27: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to bring home all hostages – "the living and the dead" – even as Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Monday claimed the lives of at least 52 people, including 33 sheltering at a school, according to Gaza authorities.
Netanyahu's remarks came amid confusion over a reported ceasefire deal. A Palestinian source close to Hamas claimed the group had agreed to a US-mediated 70-day ceasefire proposal involving the release of 10 Israeli hostages in exchange for a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
However, US envoy Steve Witkoff swiftly rejected the claim, calling Hamas’s version of the deal ‘completely unacceptable’ and stating that it did not match what he had proposed. An Israeli official also dismissed the reported deal, stating no responsible government could accept it.
In a video message, Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to Israel’s military objectives but made no mention of the ceasefire proposal. “We intend to bring them all back, the living and the dead,” he said, adding he hoped for progress “today, or if not today, then tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, fighting intensified in Gaza. Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal said an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City killed at least 33 people, mostly children, and wounded dozens. Another strike in Jabalia reportedly killed 19 people.
The Israeli military claimed it was targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders, asserting the school was used as a militant command and control center, and that efforts were made to minimize civilian casualties.
Since Israel resumed its military offensive in March, ending a brief January truce, Gaza has faced a crippling blockade, pushing civilians into extreme food and medical shortages. Aid agencies have warned of widespread malnutrition.
Hamas has offered a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attacks, if Israel agrees to fully withdraw from Gaza. Netanyahu, however, remains firm: only a temporary ceasefire is on the table, and the war will end only with Hamas's elimination.
According to Gaza health officials, nearly 54,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict, which has devastated the coastal strip and displaced hundreds of thousands.