Jerusalem: At least 17 people were killed in Israeli tank and drone attacks in Gaza on Wednesday. A hospital worker has given information about this. The attacks took place in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and Khan Younis in the south. Hospital workers said that 17 people have died in Israeli attacks in Al-Balah and Khan Younis. Meanwhile, Hezbollah fired more than 50 rockets on Wednesday, which damaged many houses in the Israeli-occupied ‘Golan Heights’. Hezbollah said that the attacks were carried out in response to Israel’s attack in Lebanon on Tuesday night.

Iran has talked about taking revenge
The attacks have come at a time when just a day earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his visit to West Asia, met his fellow mediators in Egypt and Qatar as part of a diplomatic mission to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The recent targeted killing of two top commanders of Hamas and Hezbollah in Iran and Lebanon has further increased the need for an agreement. Israel is said to be behind the killing of both the commanders. On the other hand, Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to avenge the death of both the commanders.

‘Hamas will not agree’

Meanwhile, Egypt, an important mediator country, expressed doubts about the agreement on Wednesday. Officials in Egypt told ‘The Associated Press’ (AP) that Hamas would not agree to the agreement proposal for several reasons and there has been a long-standing apprehension about whether Israeli forces would actually withdraw from Gaza after this agreement and the war would end.

Biden and Netanyahu talked
The White House, the official residence and office of the US President, said that US President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, although it did not give any information about what was discussed between the two leaders.

This is how the war started
Israel was attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7 last year. About 1,200 people were killed in this attack, mostly civilians, and about 250 people were kidnapped. It is believed that about 110 of the hostages are still in Gaza, while Israeli officials say that about one-third of them have died. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s retaliatory attacks have killed more than 40,000 Palestinians. Most of Gaza’s more than 2.3 million residents have been displaced and there is a huge humanitarian catastrophe there.