In a tragic turn of events, the Israeli military mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages during its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, according to military officials.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the army's chief spokesman, stated that Israeli troops had discovered the hostages but mistakenly identified them as a threat. It remains unclear whether the hostages had managed to escape their captors or had been abandoned.
The incident occurred in the Gaza City area of Shijaiyah, where Israeli troops have been engaged in fierce battles against Hamas militants in recent days. The Israeli army expressed "deep sorrow" over the deaths and has launched an investigation into the incident.
The announcement of the deaths came as U.S. envoy Jake Sullivan revealed that the U.S. and Israel were discussing a timetable for scaling back intense combat operations in the war against Hamas. While both parties agree that the overall fight will take months, the specifics of the timeline are still being negotiated.
Sullivan also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the postwar future of the besieged enclave. According to a senior U.S. official, this future could include the return of Palestinian security forces that were driven from their jobs in Gaza by Hamas during its 2007 takeover. The idea of Palestinian security forces returning to Gaza is one of several being considered for the security arrangements in the enclave. This is the first time that Washington has offered details on its vision for the postwar security situation in Gaza.
However, the potential return of Palestinian security forces is likely to face strong opposition from Israel, which seeks to maintain an open-ended security presence in Gaza. Israel has made it clear that it will not allow a postwar foothold for the Abbas-led Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank but is deeply unpopular with Palestinians.
During his meetings with Israeli leaders, Sullivan discussed a timetable for winding down the intense combat phase of the war. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that it would take months to destroy Hamas, but did not specify whether this estimate referred to the current phase of heavy airstrikes and ground battles.
Sullivan emphasized that there is no contradiction between saying the fight will take months and acknowledging that different phases will take place at different times over those months. He revealed that he discussed the timeline with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's War Cabinet, and that these conversations would continue during an upcoming visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The offensive, which was triggered by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, has resulted in significant destruction in northern Gaza and the displacement of 80% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people. The displaced individuals have sought refuge in overcrowded shelters, primarily in the south, leading to a spiraling humanitarian crisis.
The Biden administration has expressed unease over Israel's failure to reduce civilian casualties and its plans for the future of Gaza. However, the White House continues to offer wholehearted support for Israel through weapons shipments and diplomatic backing. President Joe Biden has called for Israel to be more careful in its operations, emphasizing the need to save civilian lives while continuing to target Hamas.
Despite the Israeli onslaught, Hamas has continued its attacks. On Friday, rockets were fired from Gaza toward central Israel, setting off sirens in Jerusalem for the first time in weeks. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The resilience of Hamas raises questions about whether Israel can defeat the group without completely destroying the entire territory.
The Israeli public remains strongly supportive of the war, viewing it as necessary to prevent a repeat of the October 7 attack by Palestinian militants that killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 240 hostages. The ground offensive, which began on October 27, has resulted in the deaths of 116 Israeli soldiers.
According to Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy, militants have fired 12,500 rockets since October 7, with over 2,000 falling short and landing in Gaza.
The Israeli air and ground assault over the past 10 weeks has led to the deaths of over 18,700 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. Thousands more are missing and feared dead beneath the rubble. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, but previous tallies have shown that around two-thirds of the dead are women and minors.
On the communication front, services in Gaza remain down, even 24 hours after telecommunications provider Paltel announced that they were cut due to ongoing fighting.
Israeli airstrikes and tank shelling continued on Friday, including in the southern city of Rafah, which is part of the shrinking areas of densely populated Gaza to which Palestinian civilians had been instructed by Israel to evacuate. At least one person was killed in the shelling, according to an Associated Press journalist who witnessed the body being brought to a local hospital.
In a tragic development, the Qatar-based television network Al Jazeera reported that one of its journalists, Palestinian cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa, was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza. The strike also wounded the network's chief correspondent in Gaza, Wael Dahdouh. The two journalists were reporting from a school in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis when the strike occurred.
Abu Daqqa's death brings the total number of journalists killed since the conflict erupted between Hamas and Israel on October 7 to 63, according to The Committee to Protect Journalists. Of these, 56 were Palestinians, four were Israelis, and three were Lebanese.
In the West Bank, Sullivan met with Abbas, who lost control of Gaza when Hamas drove out his security forces in 2007. The takeover occurred a year after Hamas defeated Abbas' Fatah party in parliamentary elections, and the two factions failed to form a unity government.
According to a senior U.S. official, Sullivan and others have discussed the possibility of having individuals associated with the Palestinian Authority security forces before the Hamas takeover serve as the "nucleus" of postwar peacekeeping in Gaza. This is one of many ideas being considered for establishing security in Gaza, and talks are ongoing with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and regional partners.
The U.S. has expressed its desire to see the West Bank and Gaza under a unified Palestinian government as a precursor to a Palestinian state. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads a right-wing government opposed to Palestinian statehood, has firmly rejected this idea.
Palestinian officials have stated that they will only consider a postwar role in Gaza if concrete U.S.-backed steps toward Palestinian statehood are taken. The specifics of these steps, such as potential personnel changes or general elections, have not been revealed.
During the meeting with Abbas, the Palestinian President called for an immediate cease-fire and increased aid to Gaza. He emphasized that Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian state, according to a statement from his office. The statement did not mention any discussions about postwar scenarios.
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