People in Israel stopped on Monday to mark the anniversary of the Hamas attacks on their villages. The assault sparked a conflict in Gaza that still has not ended.
Hamas units entered Israeli villages a year ago and launched a coordinated assault. They killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 others hostage.
Israeli troops retaliated with strikes across the Gaza Strip, to eliminate the militants and bring the captives home. Around 100 captives still have not returned. The spokesperson for the military wing of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, said Israeli leaders can decide their fate. “The morale and the health conditions of the remaining hostages has become extremely difficult,” said Abu Obaida.
Health officials in Gaza say more than 41,000 people have been killed in the conflict. About 90 percent of the more than two million residents are estimated to have been displaced.
Israeli forces have also been engaged in a battle with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. They launched another round of airstrikes on Monday in the suburbs of Beirut and in the south. Israeli media reported that the militants fired 140 rockets across the border in their latest salvo.
World leaders have seen negotiations stall along with other diplomatic efforts to end the fighting. Still, they took the opportunity on the anniversary to repeat their calls for ceasefires.