Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 93 Palestinians, health officials say
Smoke from an explosion rises in the northern Gaza Strip (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)
A strike on a tent housing displaced people in the same district killed a man, a woman and their two children.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strikes.
Gaza's Health Ministry said in a daily report on Tuesday afternoon that the bodies of 93 people killed by Israeli strikes had been brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours, along with 278 wounded.
It did not specify the total number of women and children among the dead.
The Hamas politician killed in a strike early on Tuesday, Mohammed Faraj al-Ghoul, was a member of the bloc of representatives from the group that won seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council in the last election held among Palestinians in 2006.
A convoy of Israeli military vehicles leaves the Gaza Strip near the Israel-Gaza border (Maya Alleruzzo/AP)
Hamas won a majority in the vote, but relations with the main Fatah faction that had long led the Palestinian Authority unravelled and ended with Hamas taking over the Gaza Strip in 2007. The legislative council has not formally convened since.
The Israeli military says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas. But daily, it hits homes and shelters where people are living without warning or explanation of the target.
The latest attacks came after US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held two days of talks last week that ended with no sign of a breakthrough in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release.
Israel has killed more than 58,400 Palestinians and wounded more than 139,000 others in its retaliation campaign since Hamas's attack on October 7 2023, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Just over half the dead are women and children, according to the ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally.
Palestinians inspect the wreckage of a gas station destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)
The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, is led by medical professionals. Its count, based on daily reports from hospitals, is considered by the United Nations and other experts to be the most reliable.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after its attack 20 months ago, in which militants stormed into southern Israel and killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They abducted 251 others, and the militants are still holding 50 hostages, fewer than half of them are believed to be alive.
Israel's air and ground campaign has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and driven some 90% of the population from their homes. Aid groups say they have struggled to bring in food and other assistance because of Israeli military restrictions and the breakdown of law and order, and experts have warned of famine.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
21 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Syrian government forces preparing to return to province amid renewed clashes
The government forces had withdrawn from the province of Sweida following a ceasefire agreement announced on Wednesday that halted much of the violence that plagued the area earlier in the week, but which ultimately did not stop the fighting. Officials were negotiating with Druze factions on an agreement to re-enter the area to impose stability and protect state institutions, according to two Syrian officials. They said an agreement was reached, but later said the deployment was delayed, without giving an explanation. Tens of thousands of people remained displaced by the violence and the United Nations has been unable to bring in much-needed humanitarian and medical aid because of ongoing clashes. Clashes began on Sunday between Druze militias and local Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes. Government forces intervened, nominally to restore order, but ended up taking the Bedouins' side against the Druze. Israel later in the week launched air strikes against Syrian forces in defence of the Druze. Bedouin fighters gather in front of a burning shop (Ghaith Alsayed/AP) The fighting killed hundreds of people over four days, with allegations that government-affiliated fighters executed Druze civilians and looted and burned homes. Israel launched dozens of air strikes on convoys of government fighters and even struck the Syrian Defence Ministry headquarters in central Damascus. The Druze form a substantial community in Israel, where they are seen as a loyal minority and often serve in the Israeli military. A truce mediated by the US, Turkey and Arab countries was announced on Wednesday. Under the accord, Druze factions and clerics were to maintain the internal security in Sweida as government forces pulled out, Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa said on Thursday. By late Thursday clashes were flaring again between the Druze and Bedouin groups in parts of Sweida. State media reported Druze militias carried out revenge attacks against Bedouin communities, leading to a new wave of displacement. The governor of the neighbouring province of Daraa said in a statement that more than 1,000 families had been displaced to the area from Sweida as a result of 'attacks on Bedouin tribes by outlaw groups'. The UN's migration agency said on Friday that nearly 80,000 people had been displaced altogether since clashes started on Sunday. It also noted that essential services, including water and electricity, have collapsed in Sweida, telecommunications systems are widely disrupted, and health facilities in Sweida and Daraa are under severe strain. Bedouin groups and supporters arrived on Friday from other areas of Syria to join the fight. On the outskirts of Sweida, groups of them gathered in front of buildings that had been set ablaze. In Israel, members of the Druze community had called for intervention to protect the Druze in Syria. But elsewhere in the region, Druze leaders have rejected Israeli intervention. The spiritual leader of the Druze community in Lebanon, Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, said on Friday at a gathering of Druze officials in Beirut that sectarian clashes in Syria 'give an excuse for Israeli intervention and for blowing up the situation in the region'. 'We do not accept to request protection from Israel, which we believe is harmful to our history and identity,' he said.
Reuters
38 minutes ago
- Reuters
Hamas says no interim truce possible without work toward permanent ceasefire deal
CAIRO, July 18 (Reuters) - Hamas' armed wing spokesperson said on Friday that while the group favours reaching an interim truce in the Gaza war, if such an agreement is not reached in current negotiations it could revert to insisting on a full package deal to end the conflict. Hamas has repeatedly offered to release all the hostages held in Gaza and conclude a permanent ceasefire agreement, and Israel has refused, Abu Ubaida added in a televised speech. Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have hosted more than 10 days of talks on a U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day truce in the war that has laid waste to the Palestinian enclave. As part of the potential deal, 10 hostages held in Gaza would be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release a number of detained Palestinians. "If the enemy remains obstinate and evades this round as it has done every time before, we cannot guarantee a return to partial deals or the proposal of the 10 captives," said Abu Ubaida. Disputes remain over maps of Israeli army withdrawals, aid delivery mechanisms into Gaza, and guarantees that any eventual truce would lead to ending the war, said two Hamas officials who spoke to Reuters on Friday. The officials said the talks have not reached a breakthrough on the issues under discussion. Hamas says any agreement must lead to ending the war, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war will only end once Hamas is disarmed and its leaders expelled from Gaza.
South Wales Argus
38 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Christian patriarchs in rare visit to Gaza after deadly Israeli strike on church
The attack killed three people and wounded 10, including a priest who had developed a close friendship with the late Pope Francis. The strike drew condemnation from the Pope and US President Donald Trump, and prompted a statement of regret from Israel, which said it was a mistake. Since ending a ceasefire in March, Israel has regularly launched far deadlier strikes across Gaza against what it says are Hamas militants, frequently killing women and children. Strikes killed 18 people overnight, health officials said on Friday. Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement saying Israel 'deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church' (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Pope Leo meanwhile renewed his call for negotiations to bring an end to the 21-month war in a phone call on Friday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Vatican said. The religious delegation to Gaza included two patriarchs from Jerusalem — Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III. The rare visit aimed to express the 'shared pastoral solicitude of the churches of the Holy Land', a statement said. Israel has heavily restricted access to Gaza since the start of the war, though church leaders have entered on previous occasions, usually to mark major holidays. They visited the Holy Family Catholic Church, whose compound was damaged in the shelling. They were also organising convoys carrying hundreds of tons of food, medical supplies and other equipment to the territory — which experts say has been pushed to the brink of famine by Israel's war and military offensive — and the evacuation of those wounded in the church strike. In his call with Mr Netanyahu, Pope Leo 'expressed again his concern over the dramatic humanitarian situation for the population in Gaza, with children, the elderly and the sick paying the most heartbreaking price', the Vatican said in a statement. An Israeli official confirmed that Mr Netanyahu had placed the call and said that the Vatican's account was accurate. Pope Leo expressed his concern over 'the dramatic humanitarian situation' (AP) In an earlier statement, the Pope had 'repeated his intentions to do everything possible to stop the useless slaughter of innocent people', and condemned 'the unjustifiable attack' on the church. The Vatican said the Pope had also received an update on the condition of Rev Gabriel Romanelli, the resident priest at the church, who was lightly wounded. The priest had regularly spoken by phone with Pope Francis, who died in April, telling the pontiff about the struggles faced by civilians in Gaza. Mr Netanyahu released a statement on Thursday saying Israel 'deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church'. The Israeli military said it was still investigating. Israel has repeatedly struck schools, shelters, hospitals and other civilian buildings, accusing Hamas militants of sheltering inside and blaming them for civilian deaths. Palestinians say nowhere has felt safe since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas's attack on October 7 2023. Israeli strikes killed at least 18 Palestinians overnight and into Friday, including a strike on a home in the southern city of Khan Younis that killed four members of the same family, according to morgue records at Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. Associated Press footage of the aftermath of the strike showed people digging through the rubble in search of remains. Palestinians say nowhere has felt safe since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas's attack in 2023 (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP) Israel's military said it was 'operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities' and that it takes 'feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm'. Nasser Hospital said another three people were killed while heading towards an aid site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an Israeli-backed American contractor. A spokesperson for the foundation said there was no violence at its sites overnight and that crowds were 'docile'. Since the group's operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, according to witnesses and health officials. GHF's four sites are all in military-controlled zones, and the Israeli military has said its troops have only fired warning shots to control crowds. There was no comment from the military on the latest deaths. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Fifty hostages are still being held, less than half of them believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 58,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government but is led by medical professionals. The United Nations and other international organisations consider its figures to be the most reliable count of war casualties.
