(250420) -- GAZA, April 20, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in east of Gaza City, on April 19, 2025. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday evening that Hamas had rejected a proposal for the return of half of the living hostages in Gaza by demanding the end of the war and an Israeli military retreat from Gaza.
Israel's military operation has been continuing in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that its armored forces killed more than 40 Hamas militants in the Rafah area, southern Gaza Strip, over the weekend. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)
