Jerusalem [Israel], July 18: Among the targets were buildings used by Hamas , an area near where rockets were launched into the Israeli city of Sderot a day earlier, and other infrastructure. In a drone strike in northern Gaza, Israeli forces killed a sniper and another Hamas member. Meanwhile, the operation continued in the southern Gaza city of Rafah , where the IDF said soldiers from the 162nd Division killed several gunmen and destroyed a Hamas rocket launcher. In the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, the IDF said soldiers from the 8th Brigade and the Alexandroni Brigade killed several gunmen and destroyed buildings Hamas used as observation posts.
Health officials in Gaza said on July 17 that at least 81 people had been killed in Israeli attacks in the previous 24 hours. Hamas accused Israel of stepping up its attacks to sabotage efforts by Arab and US negotiators, while Israel insisted it only wanted to eliminate Hamas. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said at least eight UN-run schools for Gazans had been attacked in the past 10 days. In the nine months of conflict, 70% of UNRWA schools in Gaza have been attacked, killing 539 people.
Despite domestic opposition, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to increase pressure on Gaza, saying Hamas is under increasing pressure to return the hostages. He said Israel will achieve all of the campaign's objectives. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a recent phone call with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin that the IDF's operation in Gaza "has created the necessary conditions" for a hostage exchange with Hamas. Israel believes there are still 120 hostages in Gaza, 42 of whom have died. Ynet quoted Gallant as saying that if a ceasefire and hostage exchange is not reached within the next two weeks, the fate of the hostages will be "cut short".
In another development, the IDF said Hezbollah in Lebanon launched about 100 rockets at the towns of Kiryat Shmona and Galilee in northern Israel on the evening of July 16. Israel's Iron Dome system intercepted some of the rockets, but some landed and damaged several buildings. There were no Israeli casualties and the IDF responded with strikes that killed at least five Lebanese.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper