Early on Sunday a high-ranking official of Hamas told AFP that the organization was withdrawing from indirect negotiations, denouncing the “massacres against unarmed civilians”.

Hamas “is, however, ready to resume negotiations” when the Israel “will demonstrate that he is serious about reaching a ceasefire agreement” and exchanging Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages held in Gauze.

In total, at least 141 people were killed within 24 hours in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas Health Ministry. This is one of the heaviest daily tallies in many weeks

An official of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said that he saw, in Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital, “horrific images”, some of the worst since the beginning of the war. “I saw infants maimed, children paralyzed, who were impossible to treat,” described Scott Anderson, the agency’s deputy humanitarian affairs coordinator.

AFP footage from Al Mawassi shows burnt tents, bed linen and mattresses torn apart.

The Israeli military insisted that “most of the victims were terrorists” while Netanyahu said the operation in Khan Younis sent “a deterrent message” to Israel’s enemies and helped weaken Hamas.

The army is also continuing its operations in the Rafah sector, in the south, and in Gaza City, in the north, where it says it has “killed many terrorists”. According to Palestinian paramedics, at least eight people have been killed by gunshots in Gaza City.

“Israel does not intend to end the war,” Fidan declares

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Hakan Fidancalled for greater pressure on Israel, which he said has “no intention of peace” in Gaza, at a joint press conference in Istanbul today with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

“Israel and Netanyahu commit new massacres every time there is a positive climate. This shows that they actually have no intention of peace,” Fidan said. “The fact that Hamas accepts terms for a ceasefire is seen by Israel as a sign of weakness and surrender, which is very dangerous,” he insisted.

“After the attack on civilians in Khan Younis yesterday, we understand that Israel’s intention is not to end this conflict but to continue its policy of annihilation of the Palestinian people,” Fidan added.

According to Hamas, 92 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli strikes on the Al Mawasi displaced persons camp, near Khan Younis. The Civil Defense service, for its part, spoke of 20 dead in the Al-Sati refugee camp, in Gaza City.

Israel insists that in the Khan Younis sector its targets were two senior Hamas figures, Mohammed Deif and Rafa Salama, the head of the organization’s military arm and Khan Younis’ commander, respectively.

“Since the ceasefire agreement had been accepted, albeit with difficulty, by Hamas, Israel should accept it as soon as possible and put an end to the bloodshed,” Fidan said. “Otherwise, there will be more dead, massacres and instability and we don’t want that,” he added.