Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 26 people on Saturday, including eight children, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency. The strikes come amid ongoing hostilities in the Israel-Hamas war, which has claimed the lives of approximately 45,717 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Among the casualties, 11 members of the al-Ghoula family, seven of them children, were killed in a dawn airstrike that destroyed their home in Gaza City, civil defense officials reported. Rescuers and residents in the Shujaiya neighborhood combed through smoking rubble to recover victims. Images showed bodies of children shrouded in white sheets.
Hamas announced Friday that indirect talks with Israel, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, had resumed in Doha. These discussions aim to establish a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages. However, no updates on the negotiations have been reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized negotiators to continue the dialogue, though Israel has expressed reluctance to agree to a lasting ceasefire. Defense Minister Israel Katz recently warned of intensified strikes if rocket fire from Gaza persists and hostages are not released.
The conflict, which began in October 2023 following a Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,208 people, has intensified in recent months. Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza has resulted in significant civilian casualties, with many families losing loved ones in airstrikes.
A strike in Khan Yunis on Saturday killed five security officers escorting aid convoys, further straining the humanitarian supply chain, according to civil defense spokesperson Mahmud Bassal. The Israeli military has not commented on the incident.
The United Nations has raised concerns about the humanitarian crisis, describing the siege of northern Gaza as a potential effort to permanently displace the population.
