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Al-Ahram Weekly
a day ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israeli strikes kill 38 in Gaza amid push for ceasefire deal - War on Gaza
At least 38 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza, hospital officials said on Saturday, as Israel's military reported hitting more than 100 targets across the territory over the past 24 hours. Two houses were struck in Gaza City, killing 20 people and wounding 25 others, said Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of Shifa Hospital. In southern Gaza, 18 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Muwasi, a coastal area where thousands of displaced Palestinians live in tents, officials at Nasser Hospital in nearby Khan Younis told the Associated Press. The dead included members of two families, they said. Those killed in the latest attacks included 29 civilians who were waiting for humanitarian aid, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. 'My brother, his wife, his four children, my cousin's son and his daughter... eight people are gone,' said Saqer Abu Al-Kheir, as mourners gathered on the sand for prayers and burials. Israel's military did not comment on the individual strikes but said it had struck 130 targets in Gaza in the past day. The strikes came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to travel to Washington for talks at the White House aimed at advancing ceasefire efforts. U.S. President Donald Trump, who is due to meet Netanyahu on Monday, has proposed a 60-day ceasefire that would include the partial release of captives held by Hamas in exchange for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza. The proposal, which Israel says it has agreed to, also envisions further negotiations to end the 21-month-old war on the Gaza Strip. However, ahead of indirect talks with Hamas in Qatar, Netanyahu's office said the group was seeking 'unacceptable' changes to the U.S. plan. Hamas, which gave a 'positive' response to the plan on Friday, is demanding guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza — demands Israel has rejected. Israel's relentless bombardment and complete blockade have created dire humanitarian conditions for more than two million people in Gaza. Karima al-Ras, from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, said, 'We hope that a truce will be announced' to allow more aid in. 'People are dying for flour,' she said. A U.S. and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took control of food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel allowed a limited flow of aid deliveries through the organization. However, UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation, citing concerns that it serves Israeli military objectives. UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution points. Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 57,418 people in the territory, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Latest Israeli strike kills 38 in Gaza: Israel, Hamas set for indirect talks; Qatar to mediate
In a latest offensive, Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of 38 Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday, as per hospital officials. According to Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Shifa Hospital, 20 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza City and 25 others were left wounded, In Muwasi, southern Gaza, Israeli attacks had killed 18 others, according to officials at Nasser Hospital, near the area of Khan Younis, as reported by AP. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Muwasi is an area on the Mediterranean coast sheltering thousands of displaced people living in tents. Two families were among the deceased. 'My brother, his wife, his four children, my cousin's son and his daughter. ... Eight people are gone,' said Saqer Abu Al-Kheir. Israel's military did not comment on the individual strikes but reported hitting 130 targets across Gaza over the past 24 hours. It said the attacks focused on Hamas command centers, weapons storage sites, launchers, and other infrastructure, claiming several militants were killed in northern Gaza. This comes amid the resumption of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas on Sunday mediated by Qatar, a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the White House. US President Donald Trump will meet Netanyahu on Monday and has proposed a 60-day ceasefire plan. A Palestinian official close to Hamas and familiar with the talks said international mediators had informed the group that "a new round of indirect negotiations... will begin in Doha today", as reported by AFP. Netanyahu had earlier announced that he would be sending a team to Qatar, a key mediator in the entire conflict. The initiatives include a partial release of hostages held by Hamas in return for an increase in humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza. The proposed truce also aims to pave the way for talks on ending the 21-month-long war altogether. Hamas gave a 'positive' response on Friday to the latest US proposal but wants guarantees that the ceasefire will lead to a full end to the war and an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Past talks have broken down over these demands, while Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has said fighting will continue until Hamas is destroyed, reported AP. Ahead of the indirect negotiations, Netanyahu's office has stressed that Hamas was seeking 'unaccepatble' alterations to ceasefire plans. An Israeli officer said the Security Cabinet has approved sending aid into Northern Gaza, an area that greatly suffers due to food shortages. Northern Gaza has received a meagre amount of aid since Israel ended the ceasefire in March. The nearest aid distribution point of the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is located near the Netzarim corridor, which divides northern and southern Gaza just south of Gaza City. UN agencies and major humanitarian organizations have declined to work with the foundation, citing concerns that it was created to serve Israeli military interests. The UN human rights office reported that over 500 people have died while trying to access food at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites, as per AFP. The war has led to the creation of a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza for the more than 2 million people living in the war-ravaged territory. "People are dying for flour," said Karima al-Ras from Khan Yunis in Sourhern Gaza, as reported by AFP. "We hope that a truce will be announced,' she added.
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Israeli airstrikes kill 33 Palestinians in Gaza
Israel strikes dozens of targets Twenty people were killed and 25 wounded after Israeli strikes hit two houses in Gaza City, according to Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Shifa Hospital that services the area. Advertisement In southern Gaza, 13 Palestinians were killed by strikes in Muwasi, an area on Gaza's Mediterranean where many displaced people live in tents, officials at Nasser Hospital in neaby Khan Younis told The Associated Press. Five of the dead belonged to the same family according to the hospital. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the individual strikes, but said it struck 130 targets across the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours. It said the strikes targeted Hamas command and control structures, storage facilities, weapons and launchers, and that they killed a number of militants in northern Gaza. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Advertisement Israel responded with an offensive that has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The U.N. and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties. Ceasefire deal being discussed The strikes occur as efforts to reach a ceasefire deal appeared to gain momentum. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's office said his government will send a negotiating team to talks in Qatar on Sunday to conduct indirect talks, adding that Hamas was seeking 'unacceptable' changes to the proposal. The planned talks in Qatar comes ahead of Netanyahu's planned visit on Monday to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the deal. It is unclear if a deal will be reached ahead of Netanyahu's White House meeting. Hamas has sought guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Previous negotiations have stalled over Hamas demands of guarantees that further negotiations would lead to the war's end, while Netanyahu has insisted Israel would resume fighting to ensure the militant group's destruction. Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
