Israeli airstrikes killed at least nine Palestinians in two separate attacks in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, raising the weekend death toll to 97, according to Palestinian medics. Meanwhile, US and Arab mediators intensified efforts to finalize a ceasefire agreement.
Health officials reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted a house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, killing five individuals. Another airstrike in Jabalia, located in the northern part of the enclave where Israeli forces have been active for three months, resulted in four more fatalities.
There was no immediate comment from Israel regarding the incidents.
Earlier on Sunday, the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza stated that Israeli strikes across the territory had killed at least 88 Palestinians and injured over 200 in the past 24 hours.
In Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, relatives and neighbors rushed to the site of the Zuhd family’s house, which was hit by an Israeli airstrike late Saturday. The attack killed seven people, according to medics, while the search continued on Sunday for four others believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
A hand protruded from the ruins, with the rest of the body buried under collapsed debris. Three men dug through the rubble with their bare hands, searching for survivors and retrieving bodies.
“Three young men, the son’s wife, and three children are still here. We retrieved this cousin of mine. Another cousin has been martyred and is now in the hospital. Approximately 11 people have been martyred here,” Ammar Zuhd, a relative, told Reuters.
Hamas Militants killed, Says Israel
The Israeli military announced on Sunday that its forces targeted over 100 locations across Gaza during the weekend, killing dozens of Hamas militants. The statement added that rocket-launching sites used for recent attacks on Israel were also destroyed.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas have intensified, alongside attempts to facilitate the return of Israeli hostages taken to Gaza. This push comes ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Israeli negotiators traveled to Doha on Friday to resume talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt, while the US administration under President Joe Biden has also urged Hamas to agree to a deal.
Hamas has expressed a commitment to reaching an agreement swiftly, but the exact status of the negotiations remains unclear.
The conflict erupted following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israeli communities, which killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in around 250 hostages being taken, according to Israeli reports.
In response, Israel launched a military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas, which has devastated large parts of Gaza, displaced the majority of its residents, and, according to the Gaza health ministry, resulted in the deaths of 45,805 Palestinians.
