Israel continued strikes across Gaza, as Hamas says it is reviewing a truce offer. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister is in Russia ahead of nuclear talks with the US. DW has more. Fresh Israeli strikes reported in both northern and southern Gaza Hamas says it is close to submitting its response to an Israeli truce offer Iran’s foreign minister visits Russia as nuclear talks with US set to continue
Here are the latest updates from Israel, Gaza and the wider Middle East on Thursday, April 17:
Israeli strikes on Gaza continue amid slow truce talks Israeli strikes on Gaza are reported to have killed several people overnight, according to local health workers.
Israeli attacks in northern Gaza left 13 people dead, including nine children, the Indonesia Hospital said. The Indonesia Hospital is located in the northern Gaza city of Beit Lahia.
Meanwhile, an attack in the southern city of Khan Younis killed 10 people belonging to the same family. Nasser Hospital, which is located in Khan Younis, said five children were among the dead.
The strikes come as Gaza faces a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the UN, as Israel has vowed to block aid from getting into the territory.
Israel began its war in Gaza after Hamas carried out terror attacks on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people in Israel. Hamas also took 251 people hostage during the attack, with the group still believed to have 58 people in captivity.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed last month. The two sides are engaged in indirect talks on the truce, with regional player Egypt mediating the ceasefire efforts.
Israel has offered a 45-day ceasefire in Gaza to facilitate the release of hostages and possibly commence indirect negotiations to end the war.
As part of the deal, Hamas would release 10 living hostages, and Israel would release 120 Palestinian prisoners serving life terms. Israel would also release over 1,000 detainees as part of the agreement and would restart the allocation of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel attacks ‘Hezbollah targets’ in Lebanon despite ceasefire Israel’s military said on Thursday that it hit Hezbollah infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon overnight.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it “struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon.”
“The IDF will take action against any efforts by Hezbollah to reconstruct or set up a military presence, disguising it as civilian activity,” the statement continued.
Technically, a ceasefire has been in place between Israel and Hezbollah since November 27. However, there have been instances of rockets being fired by Hezbollah recently, and Israel has carried out numerous lethal attacks within Lebanese territory as well.
Hezbollah functions as both a Shiite political party and a militant group in Lebanon, enjoying considerable backing from Iran.
The United States, Germany, and various Sunni Arab countries view Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. In contrast, the European Union regards only Hezbollah’s military branch as a terror group.
Welcome to our coverage! Today, we bring you DW’s reporting on the events unfolding across the Middle East for April 17, 2024.
This blog will bring you the latest news, analysis, multimedia content and insight from DW correspondents on the ground in the Middle East.
DW will cover the most recent updates regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies toward Middle Eastern nations, including his stance on the Iranian nuclear negotiations and the continuous airstrikes carried out by the U.S. against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
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