By Israeli strikes in southern Gaza killed at least three dozen Palestinians on Saturday, local health officials reported, as preparations for high-level cease-fire talks in Cairo progressed.
In Khan Younis, an airstrike on a home killed eleven members of one family, including two children, according to Nasser Hospital, where victims were taken. The hospital reported receiving thirty-three bodies from three separate strikes in and around the city. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed three additional fatalities from an early morning strike.
Seventeen people died when a strike hit a road south of Khan Younis, affecting passengers in a tuk-tuk and bystanders, Nasser Hospital stated. Another strike on a tuk-tuk east of the city killed at least five.
The Israeli military said it was investigating these reports but offered no immediate comment.
First responders recovered ten bodies from a residential area west of Khan Younis that had been repeatedly bombed over the past week, though the exact circumstances of these deaths were unclear.
The conflict, which began on October 7 with a Hamas attack on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people and took hostages, has resulted in more than 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant casualties.
As the violence continues, preparations for cease-fire negotiations are underway. Experts met Saturday to address technical issues before high-level talks scheduled for Sunday, mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar.
A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo to meet with Egyptian and Qatari officials, according to senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawy. Hamas will not participate directly in Sunday’s talks but will receive briefings from Egypt and Qatar.
The Israeli delegation includes Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet security service head, and top general Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano. CIA Director William Burns and Brett McGurk, a senior Middle East advisor to President Joe Biden, are leading the U.S. negotiation team.
The White House reported constructive progress in the talks on Friday, without providing specifics. A major point of contention is Israel’s insistence on maintaining forces in two strategic corridors in Gaza, which Hamas opposes.
The U.S. has proposed a bridging plan to address the differences between Israel and Hamas. President Biden has emphasized the urgency of reaching a cease-fire and hostage release deal in recent communications with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leaders of Qatar and Egypt.
Hamas political official Bassem Naim stated last week that the current proposal aligned with Netanyahu’s demands for Israeli control of both the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors. However, Merdawy reiterated Hamas’ position of accepting only a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
As negotiations continue, the situation remains tense, with ongoing military actions and diplomatic efforts to find a resolution to the conflict.
Source: AP
