Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill Over 30 Amid Cease-Fire Talks

Overnight Israeli airstrikes in the central Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of 24 individuals, including women and children, based on information from hospital records. The towns of Nuseirat and Zawaida saw the deaths of 10 women and four children amidst ongoing violence even as ceasefire talks persist. These talks continued despite a recent Israeli operation targeting Hamas’s top military commander, Mohammed Deif, leaving his status uncertain. That particular strike reportedly resulted in 90 Palestinian casualties, including children.

Efforts by international mediators to broker a ceasefire have intensified, aiming to end the conflict and secure the release of about 120 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. According to emergency services, the strikes affected four residential buildings, with casualties transferred to Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah amid visible clouds of smoke from ongoing Israeli airstrikes.

The Israeli military has stated that it targeted “terror targets” in central Gaza without providing detailed specifics. Additional reports indicate that nine individuals were killed in southern Gaza due to two separate strikes, with casualties in Khan Younis and Rafah.

Over the past day, the Israeli air force has targeted around 40 sites in Gaza, including observation posts, military structures of Hamas, and buildings rigged with explosives.

The conflict, ignited by a Hamas attack on October 7, has claimed over 38,600 lives, with the Hamas-run Health Ministry noting this total does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. The war has led to a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, displacing a significant portion of the area’s 2.3 million residents, causing widespread hunger.

In related developments, a Palestinian from Gaza wounded an Israeli policeman in a stabbing incident in the West Bank, leading to the assailant’s death by police fire.