As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict enters its 12th month, a ceasefire remains elusive

(Jerusalem) - Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza entered its 12th month on Saturday, but hopes of a ceasefire and a hostage release remain slim.

The Gaza Health Ministry said Sunday that at least 40,972 Palestinians have been killed and 94,761 wounded in Israel's military operations in Gaza since October 7. Israel says 97 Israelis are still being held hostage by Hamas, 33 of whom have died.

Israel recovered the bodies of six hostages in Gaza a week ago, raising concerns about the safety of the remaining hostages. Thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities on Saturday night, demanding the government secure the hostages' safe release.

A Turkish-American woman, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, was shot and killed by Israeli troops during a demonstration in the West Bank on Friday, adding to international pressure on Israel to end the war as soon as possible.

Amid escalating violence in the West Bank, three Israeli civilians were killed Sunday in a shooting at the Allenby Bridge crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, which connects the West Bank to Jordan. This is the first such incident on the Israeli-Jordanian border since the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has further strained relations between the two countries and the regional situation.

The Israeli army said that a terrorist drove a truck from the Jordanian side to Allenby Bridge crossing on the same day and opened fire on Israeli security forces stationed on the bridge. Three civilians were killed and the gunman was killed at the scene.

After the incident, Israel closed Allenby Bridge crossing to search; Two other land crossings to Jordan were also closed for security reasons.

The Jordanian government has repeatedly criticized Israel for its war on Gaza, while Israel has accused Iran of smuggling weapons through Jordan to foment violence in the West Bank.

At a cabinet meeting Sunday, Netanyahu blamed the gunmen and pointed the finger at Iran. He said: "A despicable terrorist killed three of our civilians in cold blood. We are surrounded by a murderous ideology led by Iran's axis of evil."

Hamas official Sami Zuhri praised the attack, saying it was a response to Israel's offensive in Gaza. "We expect more of the same," he added.

Although the United States, Egypt and Qatar have been mediating, Hamas insists on a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and Netanyahu insists on maintaining a military presence on the Gaza-Egypt border.

Merissa Khurma, director of the Middle East program at the Wilson Center in Washington, told AFP that Netanyahu and Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar both believe that accepting the deal would endanger their political survival, making a major breakthrough unlikely.