Israel continues with Gaza demolition operations as 20 bodies recovered in Gaza City

Israeli forces on Wednesday continued with demolition operations in areas east of Khan Younis in the south of the enclave, while Palestinian rescue teams recovered 20 bodies from Gaza City.

The demolition operations, which have been ongoing for weeks, caused loud explosions and shook the surrounding areas, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

Local sources also added that Israeli warplanes and reconnaissance aircraft have continued to circle above southern Gaza, despite a ceasefire being in place.

At least three airstrikes targeted areas east of Beit Lahia on Wednesday morning, while Israeli naval vessels opened fire off the coast of the southern Gaza Strip.

This comes as Palestinians have used the ceasefire to search for the bodies of their loved ones and bury them.

Rescue teams recovered 20 bodies from the Sheikh Radwan clinic in Gaza City. These were only discovered after Israeli bulldozers launched an incursion into the area, unearthing graves in the process.

After Israeli forces departed from the area, specialist teams accessed the site and found the bodies in the grounds of the clinic, which came under heavy bombardment during Israel’s genocidal assault on the enclave.

Two bodies were also recovered from under the rubble of a home in Khan Younis.

According to local media, rescue operations are still ongoing, despite a lack of heavy machinery and equipment being allowed into the enclave.

The latest developments come just one day after Palestinian officials said Israeli forces killed at least three Palestinians in Gaza in the last 24 hours.

The Gaza Strip’s civil defence agency confirmed the killings, adding in a statement on Telegram that the bodies were transported to al-Shifa Hospital, where staff will try to confirm the identities.

Since the start of the ceasefire last month, forensic experts in Gaza have struggled to confirm the identities of bodies due to a shortage of DNA testing equipment, which has caused a widespread sense of anxiety and grief among families who do not know what has happened to their loved ones.

Israel, US reach deal on trapped Hamas fighters

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that Tel Aviv and Washington have come to an agreement that would see around 200 Hamas fighters, trapped outside the so-called yellow line, deported.

The agreement has been dubbed as an effort to eliminate Hamas presence; however, it does not outline which country the fighters would be deported to.

The report comes following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu’s meeting with US special envoy Jared Kushner at his Jerusalem office, where the pair reportedly discussed disarming Hamas.

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Turkey are also set to discuss the progress of the ceasefire as well as reconstruction efforts in Ankara on Wednesday, a Turkish foreign ministry source said, adding that the next phase of the agreement will be on the agenda.

They will also discuss the replacement of Hamas as the governing authority in the Gaza Strip, the disarmament of the group and the formation of an international force to maintain security.

Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, has previously emphasised that Hamas and other Palestinian groups have been adhering to the terms of the truce.

Israel’s war on Gaza, widely acknowledged as a genocide, has killed over 69,000 Palestinians since October 2023 and totally devastated the enclave, causing famine and malnutrition.

Gaza’s government media office said this week that Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement at least 282 times since it commenced on 10 October, killing scores more people.