At least 32 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israeli military strikes throughout Gaza overnight and into this morning, with the majority of the casualties reported in northern regions, according to medics.Among those who perished, at least seven were killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building in central Gaza City, as reported by the Gaza Civil Defense and the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
The Gaza Civil Defence has also stated that one of its officers was killed in the attacks in Jabalia, located in northern Gaza, raising the total number of civil defense personnel killed since October 7, 2023, to 88.
Earlier today, WAFA reported the deaths of three employees from the World Central Kitchen, a U.S.-based non-governmental humanitarian organization, who were killed when a civilian vehicle was targeted in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
The Israeli army targeted the vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen aid workers
The Israeli military has claimed responsibility for the death of a Palestinian accused of being involved in Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which occurred during a vehicle strike in Gaza. They are currently investigating claims that the individual was an employee of the World Central Kitchen.
In the meantime, Hamas representatives are scheduled to travel to Cairo today for discussions on a potential ceasefire in Gaza, as confirmed by an official from the Palestinian militant group.
“A Hamas delegation will visit Cairo for several meetings with Egyptian officials to explore ideas for a ceasefire and a prisoner arrangement in the Gaza Strip,” said the official, who requested anonymity.
This announcement follows the recent implementation of a ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, a known ally of Hamas.
The United States has also initiated a new diplomatic effort alongside Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate the release of hostages captured during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel that initiated the current conflicts.
The attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,207 individuals, the majority of whom were civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official statistics.
Israel’s retaliatory military actions have claimed the lives of 44,363 people in Gaza, according to figures reported by the health ministry of the territory, which the United Nations regards as credible.
Additionally, around 251 hostages were taken on October 7, with 97 believed to still be in Gaza, including 34 individuals whom the Israeli army claims are deceased.
Many Palestinians have been displaced due to continued Israeli bombardment
The sole ceasefire thus far, which took place in November 2023, resulted in the release of approximately 100 hostages by Hamas and its allies in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have spearheaded multiple unsuccessful initiatives since the beginning of the year aimed at achieving a new ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza
Israeli military strikes claimed the lives of at least 40 Palestinians yesterday in Gaza, according to medics.
Medics reported recovering 19 bodies in Nuseirat, one of Gaza’s eight longstanding refugee camps.
Later, an Israeli airstrike resulted in at least ten fatalities in a residential building in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, according to medical sources.
A man comforts a child as people mourn the death of relatives killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza
Additional deaths were reported in various northern and southern regions of Gaza, as stated by medics. There was no new statement from the Israeli military; however, earlier on Thursday, they announced that their forces were continuing to “target terror sites as part of their operational activities in the Gaza Strip.”
Israeli tanks had entered the northern and western sections of Nuseirat on Thursday. They withdrew from northern areas yesterday but remained active in western parts of the camp. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service reported that emergency teams were unable to respond to calls from residents trapped within their homes.
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Dozens of Palestinians returned to areas where the military had pulled back to assess the damage to their residences.
Medics confirmed that an Israeli drone strike killed Ahmed Al-Kahlout, who headed the Intensive Care Unit at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, located on the northern fringe of Gaza, where military operations have been ongoing since early October.
In communication with Reuters, the Israeli military stated it was not aware of any strikes occurring in that particular location or timeframe.
Kamal Adwan Hospital is one of three medical facilities situated on the northern edge of Gaza that is barely operational due to severe shortages of medical supplies, fuel, and food. Health officials report that most medical personnel have been detained or expelled by the Israeli army.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and accused Israel of “employing starvation as a weapon against the people (in northern Gaza) to force them from their land and homes.”
The Israeli army has stated that operations in Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia since October 5 aim to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping and launching further attacks from these areas. Residents have reported that the military is depopulating the towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, as well as the Jabalia refugee camp.
