Israeli airstrikes overnight and into Friday morning killed at least 30 people, including children, in Gaza, hospital officials said, as sirens sounded across Israel and ceasefire negotiations were set to resume.
The Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported that more than a dozen women and children were among those killed in strikes targeting areas in Central Gaza, including Nuseirat, Zawaida, Maghazi, and Deir al-Balah. Officials said at least 56 people had been killed in the last 24 hours, marking one of the deadliest recent periods in the ongoing conflict.
The Israeli military declined to comment on the latest strikes but, in a statement Friday, said it had targeted Hamas gathering points and command centers throughout Gaza over the past day. The military added that precision munitions and aerial surveillance were used to minimize harm to civilians.
Among those killed was freelance journalist Omar al-Derawi, who died during strikes on Thursday. Witnesses at the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital described colleagues mourning beside his body, with a press vest placed atop his shroud.
Missile Fire Reported from Yemen
Meanwhile, early Friday, Israeli air raid sirens were triggered in Jerusalem and central Israel after missiles were reportedly launched from Yemen. The Israeli military stated that one missile was intercepted, and no immediate injuries or damages were reported.
Ceasefire Negotiations to Resume
Amid ongoing violence, efforts to negotiate a ceasefire were expected to resume Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that a delegation comprising members of the Mossad intelligence agency, Shin Bet internal security, and military officials had been authorized to continue discussions in Qatar.
Conflict Timeline and Casualties
The war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023, after a deadly attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel, has resulted in over 45,500 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry reported that women and children account for more than half of the fatalities.
The Israeli military claims its airstrikes exclusively target Hamas militants, whom it accuses of operating within densely populated civilian areas. The military says it has killed 17,000 militants during the war but has not provided evidence for these figures.
Hamas’s initial attack, which killed 1,200 people in Israel—mostly civilians—and resulted in around 250 hostages being taken into Gaza, marked the deadliest day in Israel’s history. The ongoing violence has displaced 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, many of whom remain without homes or access to basic necessities.
