INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
(Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to confirm on Saturday that new negotiations were under way to recover
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.In a televised press conference a day after Israeli forces mistakenly killed three of more than 100 hostages
held by Hamas, Netanyahu called the conflict an existential war that must be fought until victory, despite pressure and costs, and said Gaza
deal in November and vowed to maintain intense military pressure on Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza and that he has vowed to
on Friday, according to a source with knowledge of the matter, and attention turned to a possible new Gaza truce and a prisoner and hostage
targets across Gaza on Saturday, but two Egyptian security sources said Israeli officials now appeared more willing to work towards a
cross-border assault on Oct
7 in which Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and captured 240 hostages - has killed close to 19,000 people, according to Gaza health
Thousands more are feared buried under rubble.An Israeli military official said the three hostages killed had been holding a white flag,
according to an initial inquiry
Their deaths have put increased pressure on Netanyahu to find a way to secure the release of those held.In a post on social media platform
The post gave no more details.As Netanyahu spoke, several hundred people staged a protest in Tel Aviv, with some holding placards, including
officials from Israel and Qatar, which has been acting as a mediator, since the collapse of a seven-day ceasefire in late November.Combat
has intensified in the past two weeks since the truce, which had allowed dozens of Israeli hostages held in Gaza to be released in exchange
for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.Israeli targets across Gaza on Saturday included a crowded YMCA building, and Palestinian health
officials reported dozens killed or wounded in attacks, despite a renewed U.S call to scale down the campaign and focus on Hamas
leaders.
The YMCA has been sheltering hundreds of displaced people.Two Christian women who had taken refuge in a church complex were
shot dead by an Israeli soldier, Roman Catholic Church authorities said
Seven other people were shot and wounded
Hospital had received 20 Palestinians killed in air strikes, in addition to dozens of wounded, including women and children.The Israeli
at least three dozen people had been killed in strikes on three houses in the Jabalia refugee camp, which health officials were unable to
confirm.The Israeli military said on Saturday it had bombed a building in Jabalia from the air after its forces came under fire and Hamas
militants were seen on the roof.At nightfall on Saturday, residents reported intensified fighting in the centre of Khan Younis, with Israeli
planes and tanks bombing and shelling and the sound of rocket grenades, apparently fired by Hamas fighters.U.S
URGES ISRAEL TO NARROW ITS CAMPAIGNU.S
narrowly targeted operations against Hamas leaders, U.S
officials said.With Israeli officials publicly emphasising they would continue the war until they eradicate Hamas, Washington appeared to
where Hamas militants operate in civilian attire and use deception tactics, the Israeli official said, but the hostages were fired upon
of more than 130 hostages still held in Gaza are dead.The Israeli military also said it had killed militants holed up in two school
buildings in Gaza City, and raided apartments in Khan Younis stocked with weapons, uncovering what it described as underground
attacked the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat with a swarm of drones, one of several drone incidents reported in the region on Saturday.Two
major freight firms said they would avoid the Suez Canal as the Houthis stepped up attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.The U.S
Central Command said the destroyer Carney had shot down 14 Houthi drones in the Red Sea
Britain also said one of its warships had shot down a suspected attack drone targeting merchant shipping.Source: REUTERS--Agencies
