The Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday that they have destroyed 130 Hamas tunnels since launching their military operation in the Gaza Strip.
It comes as the IDF is undertaking “significant military activity” in and around the embattled Gaza City, according to a spokesperson.
The military has meanwhile offered another four-hour humanitarian corridor window for civilians to safely flee Gaza City southward, warning that “time is running out to evacuate.”
Elsewhere, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that the consensus of Group of Seven ministers, who met earlier in the day in Japan, was that a humanitarian pause in the Israel-Hamas war would fulfil “key” objectives.
“Ultimately the only way to ensure that this crisis never happens again is to begin setting the conditions for durable peace and security and to frame our diplomatic efforts now with that in mind,” the U.S. top diplomat told reporters Wednesday.
Meantime, Qatar is reportedly leading talks to secure the release of 10 to 15 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a 1-2 day humanitarian pause of Israeli hostilities.