Israel’s hardline national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has called for tight restrictions on Muslim prayers this year, including limits on Palestinian citizens of Israel. But no final decisions have been made.Tempers are likely to be even more volatile this year over the Gaza war and spiraling violence in the West Bank.Since the war began, the Israeli army has carried out near-nightly raids across the West Bank, arresting more than 3,200 Palestinians, including 1,350 it says are suspected Hamas members. Almost 400 Palestinians have been killed during the operations, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israeli settlers have stepped up attacks on Palestinians, and there have been a number of militant shooting attacks against Israeli civilians.BOMBARDMENT CONTINUESA flurry of seven Israeli strikes hit Rafah early Thursday, one of them flattening a large mosque and devastating much of the surrounding block. Footage from the scene showed al-Farouq Mosque pancaked to the ground, with its concrete domes tumbled around it and nearby buildings shattered.Another strike hit a residential home in Rafah sheltering the al-Shaer family, killing at least four people, including a mother and her child.Strikes in central Gaza overnight killed 44 people, including 14 children and 8 women, according to hospital officials there.Israel’s bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza has killed more than 29,400 people and wounded more than 69,000, the territory’s Health Ministry said Thursday. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but has said around two-thirds of the dead are women and children.Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, after the Oct. 7 attack, in which militants from the territory stormed into southern Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping around 250 people. Around 100 hostages were released in a swap for Palestinian prisoners during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas, saying it operates among the population.The United States, Israel’s top ally, has been working with mediators Egypt and Qatar to try to broker a deal for a cease-fire of several months with the release of hostages.But talks stalled last week after Netanyahu rejected Hamas’ demands for any hostage release: a complete end to Israel’s offensive in Gaza and withdrawal of its troops, along with the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including top militants.
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