An Israeli air strike on Wednesday killed three sons of Hamas’s Qatar-based leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Haniyeh’s brother Nahed told AFP in Gaza that their family are “in the same situation” as other Gazans.
“There is no difference between the sons of leaders and the sons of the people,” he said.
Haniyeh insisted that his sons’ deaths would not influence Hamas’ position in ongoing talks in Cairo on a possible temporary ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Those talks, which started Sunday, have brought no breakthrough on a plan presented by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators, which Hamas said it was studying.
A framework plan would halt fighting for six weeks and see the exchange of about 40 hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, as well as more aid deliveries.
Biden said that “it’s now up to Hamas, they need to move on the proposal that’s been made”.
“DESTABILISING MIDDLE EAST”
Washington has also ramped up pressure on Netanyahu to agree to a truce, increase aid flows and abandon plans to invade the territory’s far-southern city of Rafah.
About 1.5 million civilians are sheltering in Rafah, the last Gazan city yet to face a ground incursion.
Biden labelled Netanyahu’s handling of the war a “mistake” in an interview broadcast on Tuesday.
Gallant promised Israel would “flood Gaza with aid”, using an Israeli crossing point, streamlined checks and two new routes organised with Jordan.
He said they expected to hit 500 aid trucks entering Gaza a day, the average pre-war level.
Israel has faced a chorus of international criticism over its handling of the war.
Spain is among several Western nations, including Ireland and Australia, to have suggested they would recognise a Palestinian state in the near future as a starting point for wider peace talks.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that Israel’s “disproportionate response” in Gaza risked “destabilising the Middle East and, as a consequence, the entire world”.
Source: CNA
