DEIR EL-BALAH – According to hospital staff, Israeli airstrikes in southern Gaza on Saturday resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people, including a child. At the same time, reports suggest that new ceasefire discussions are taking place in Qatar.
A heartbreaking scene unfolded as a small boy grieved over his father, and a woman mourned while lying over one of the deceased, who were covered in white plastic. The strikes targeted a car, a house, and individuals on the streets of Khan Younis, as reported by Nasser Hospital personnel.
There was no immediate comment from Israel’s military.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 59 people had been killed and more than 270 injured by strikes in the past 24 hours.
While there has been no official communication regarding the ceasefire talks happening indirectly in Doha, the capital of Qatar, aimed at ending the 15-month-long conflict. Hamas, the militant group, confirmed on Friday that negotiations had recommenced and stressed their commitment to finding a resolution. They also cautioned against misinformation that may erode public trust.
The talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have repeatedly stalled as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to press on in Gaza until Hamas is destroyed. Fighters with Hamas, which wants Israeli forces out of Gaza completely, continue to regroup in areas where Israeli forces withdraw.
The war is by far the deadliest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas. It began when Hamas and other militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Around 100 hostages are still in Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Families of hostages and others have rallied weekly for months to press Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire deal that would bring loved ones home.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 45,717 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which says women and children make up more than half the dead. The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally.
The ministry says other, uncounted bodies remain beneath rubble or in areas where emergency responders cannot reach.
Israel’s military says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because its fighters operate in dense residential areas. The army says it has killed 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
The war has caused widespread destruction and displaced about 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, many of them multiple times. Winter has now arrived, and hundreds of thousands are sheltering in tents near the sea. A small number of children have died from exposure to the cold.
Meanwhile, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, relatives mourned an 18-year-old Palestinian who the Palestinian Health Ministry said was killed Friday during clashes with Israel’s army in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus. The ministry said nine other people were injured.
Palestinian health officials have said Israeli raids throughout the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023, have killed more than 800 Palestinians. Israel says most of these are militants, but youths throwing stones and people not involved in confrontations have also been killed.
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has held up for over a month, although its terms seem unlikely to be met by the agreed-upon 60-day deadline. Israel and Hezbollah had exchanged fire almost daily since the war in Gaza began.
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