By- Srishti Verma
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a ceasefire will not happen since that would amount to surrendering to Hamas.
Netanyahu's government is facing mounting pressure amid a hostage situation with around 230 Israelis and foreign nationals being held captive in the Gaza Strip.
Hostages remain an important political currency for the Hamas and had been a major reason for negotiations for Israel in the past.
A woman soldier was freed from Gaza Strip by the Israeli army during their ground operations. "Last night, soldier Ori Megidish was released during a ground operation after being kidnapped by Hamas on October 7," Israeli army said in a statement.
Hamas had earlier freed four captives, including two US citizens, and said a ceasefire was necessary for releasing hostages. They had called for a prisoner swap deal that includes the release of all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for all hostages held in Gaza.
Israeli tanks were observed making their way towards the outskirts of Gaza City. Tanks moved into the Zaytun neighborhood in Gaza City's southern outskirts.
It was reported that the German woman, who had been abducted from a music event close to the Gaza border and paraded naked on a pickup truck by Hamas, had passed away.
UN warned that little help is reaching the Gaza Strip to address "unprecedented humanitarian needs," which has drastically increased fears for the 2.4 million residents due to Israel's escalating military operations there.
During his speech to the Security Council, Israel's representative to the UN showed off a yellow star on his chest and promised to keep it there until the body's members denounced the "atrocities" committed by Hamas.
After Hamas launched a powerful rocket attack on October 7 and its agents went on the rampage in Israeli border towns, Israel wants to destroy the terrorist organization's military capability.