
British soldier Sean Bell has warned that at the rate Palestinians were being killed before the ceasefire, tens of thousands more will die if Israel is to destroy Hamas. He says Israeli forces claim to have killed 5,000 of the 25,000 Hamas fighters, while the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claims more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed so far. That means 60,000 more people would have to die for Israel to kill all Hamas fighters, he said — regardless of the population density in southern Gaza.
"This is going to be very difficult for the international community to handle," Bell says. From a military perspective, it is "very difficult to see" how Israel can meet objectives in the south. "But it is clear that the IDF is determined to force Hamas to be true to its word, and if they are going to negotiate a cease-fire, they must meet these demands and fulfill them on time." he says.
The IDF has started the second phase of its offensive, but this does not stop the negotiations, reports skynews. "The good fact is that both sides are rushing to reach a ceasefire because they need to resolve the hostage issue, but for different reasons," says Bell. But negotiations will become more difficult, with Hamas likely to demand more in return for the exchange of men and IDF soldiers than women and children.
"I expect to see a return to the ceasefire, but potentially it will be sporadic ceasefires once the hostage release agreement is reached," Bell says. Israel started the offensive today after a several-day ceasefire with Hamas.