Hamas strikes Tel Aviv with 'M90 rockets', city left shaken

Hamas fired two rockets at Tel Aviv on Tuesday, while Israeli airstrikes killed at least 19 Palestinians in Gaza. Despite the escalation, ceasefire talks are expected to resume later in the week. There were no reports of casualties in Israel, as the rockets from Gaza did not successfully hit their targets, as reported by Reuters.

In a Reuters report, Hamas' military wing announced the attack, stating, "We have bombed the city of Tel Aviv and its suburbs with two 'M90' missiles in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians and the deliberate displacement of our people."

According to Gaza medics, Israeli airstrikes resulted in multiple fatalities in various areas of the Gaza Strip. Six individuals, including a mother and her newborn twins, died in Deir Al-Balah. Another seven were killed in the nearby Al-Bureij camp. Four others perished in separate strikes in the central and southern regions, and two more died in a strike on a house in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City.



The Israeli military reported engaging Palestinian fighters and dismantling military infrastructures in several locations. Weapons and explosives were found in Rafah, and rocket launchers and sniper posts were targeted in central Gaza.

The United States anticipates Gaza ceasefire talks to proceed on Thursday, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken aiming to visit Qatar, Egypt, and Israel for discussions. The Israeli government plans to send a delegation to finalize the ceasefire agreement.

Hamas is calling for action on the proposal presented by U.S. President Joe Biden in May rather than additional talks. A Hamas official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, refuted a CNN report claiming the group's planned attendance on Thursday.

"Our statement the other day was clear: what is needed is the implementation, not more negotiation," the official said.

The conflict began on Oct. 7 when Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza. Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have died in the Israeli offensive since, with vast destruction in Gaza and mass displacement of its population.

A potential ceasefire deal would aim to end the fighting and ensure the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Residents of Deir Al-Balah, particularly affected by overcrowding and displacement, are yearning for peace. Ghada, a mother of six who recently had to leave her tent in Khan Younis due to new evacuation orders, expressed the dire situation.

"Enough, we are no longer able to tolerate the war, the starvation and the frequent displacement," she said. "I hope this time they will reach a ceasefire. If they don't, I don't know how much longer we can survive."

(With inputs from Reuters)