Israel Rejects Ceasefire Calls, Death Toll Now 11,000

Israel has rejected calls for a ceasefire and continued intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Sunday.

This is just as the top United States (US) diplomat scrambled to contain a crisis that threatened to cause further escalation in neighbouring Lebanon.

Gaza was under “unprecedented bombardment” from Israel on Sunday, Palestinian news agency, WAFA reported, while Palestinian telecommunications company Paltel said that all communications and internet services had once again been cut.

Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas joined international calls for an immediate ceasefire at a meeting with US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who was making an unannounced visit to the occupied West Bank.

But after Blinken repeated US concerns that a ceasefire could aid Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu said that unless hostages held by Hamas were released, there would be no cease fire.

“There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. This should be completely removed from the lexicon,” Netanyahu said.

Tensions increased with Lebanon as an Israeli strike on a car in the south of the country killed three children and their grandmother, Lebanese authorities said.

Israel’s chief military spokesperson said the military had attacked “terrorist targets of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon” in response to a missile attack against tanks that killed an Israeli citizen.

He said a Hezbollah drone was also shot down.