UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps advocated on Sunday for a sustained truce in the Gaza Strip. He urged Israel to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the region and called for the liberation of individuals held captive by Palestinian forces in Gaza. According to Israel Today, a delegation led by the directors of Mossad and Shin Bet is scheduled to depart for Cairo on Monday to engage in the negotiation process. Axios reported statements from a high-ranking Israeli official indicating that the delegation's objective is to refine the mediators' proposal into an actionable plan that could potentially result in a formal agreement. Israeli Army Radio announced the withdrawal of the 98th Division's three brigades from the Khan Yunis area. This move is reportedly part of the preparations for a potential ground operation in Rafah, located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Concurrently, Israeli media outlets have reported that the division's retraction is a precursor to this operation. The report also noted that the Nahal Brigade remains the sole military unit in the Netzarim Corridor, which divides the northern and southern segments of the Strip. The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip said that the Israeli occupation forces committed 4 massacres in the Strip, killing 38 people and leaving 71 others wounded during the past 24 hours. This brings the number of victims of the Israeli aggression on Gaza to 33,175 deaths and 75,886 injured since October 7, according to the ministry. In the same context, the Israeli occupation army announced that 4 soldiers were injured, including two seriously, in battles in the central Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of injured among its ranks to 3,193 since 7 October. It said in a post on his account on the "X" platform: "Two army soldiers from the 46th Battalion in the 401st Brigade were seriously injured this morning (Saturday) in battles in the central Gaza Strip, and two others were also slightly injured." "The fighters were evacuated to receive medical treatment at a hospital (which he did not specify)." For its part, the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, announced that its fighters bombed the Eshkol area and settlements around the Gaza Strip with a missile barrage. Israeli Army Radio confirmed that 5 rockets were launched from the Strip towards the Gaza Strip, adding that Iron Dome intercepted a number of them.
