Hamas: Any Israeli Offensive in Rafah Will 'Blow Up' Hostage Exchange Talks

A picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing during Israeli bombardment over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on February 11, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
A picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing during Israeli bombardment over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on February 11, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
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Hamas: Any Israeli Offensive in Rafah Will 'Blow Up' Hostage Exchange Talks

A picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing during Israeli bombardment over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on February 11, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
A picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing during Israeli bombardment over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on February 11, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)

Any Israeli ground offensive in Rafah on the Gaza border will "blow up" the hostage exchange negotiations," Hamas-run Aqsa Television channel quoted a senior Hamas leader as saying on Sunday.

Israel’s neighbors and key mediators also warned Saturday of disaster and repercussions if its military launches a ground invasion in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said any Israeli ground offensive on Rafah would have “disastrous consequences,” and asserted that Israel aims to eventually force the Palestinians out of their land.

Another mediator, Qatar, also warned of disaster, and Saudi Arabia warned of “very serious repercussions.”

A total of 28,176 Palestinians have been killed and 67,784 have been injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Some 112 Palestinians were killed and 173 injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry added.



Israeli Airstrike Targets Three Cars Carrying Medical Materials in Syria's Homs

A woman walks past destroyed buildings in the government-controlled part of Homs, Syria, September 18, 2018. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
A woman walks past destroyed buildings in the government-controlled part of Homs, Syria, September 18, 2018. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
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Israeli Airstrike Targets Three Cars Carrying Medical Materials in Syria's Homs

A woman walks past destroyed buildings in the government-controlled part of Homs, Syria, September 18, 2018. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
A woman walks past destroyed buildings in the government-controlled part of Homs, Syria, September 18, 2018. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

An Israeli airstrike targeted three cars carrying medical and relief materials in the industrial city in Syria's Homs, the Syrian state news agency reported on Sunday, adding that material damage was reported.

The state news agency quoted the head of the industrial city in a town of Homs as saying that no factories were targeted inside the city and that the sound of the blast was a result of the Israeli strike, Reuters reported.

Israel has been carrying out strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria for years but has ramped up such raids since last year's Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian group Hamas on Israeli territory that sparked the Gaza war.