Dozens of Israeli strikes hit the Gaza Strip over the weekend as Israeli and Hamas officials continued indirect ceasefire talks through mediators in Qatar.
Israel's military said Sunday it hit more than 100 targets in the enclave over the weekend, including where militants fired at least four shells into Israeli territory on Friday and Saturday. The strikes reportedly killed Hamas militants and the military took measures to reduce the risk of harming civilians. The allegations could not be independently verified.
In a statement issued by the Gaza Health Ministry on Sunday, 88 Palestinians were killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes in the last 24 hours. The ministry's figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Gaza Civil Defense, emergency agencysaid its crews were responding to multiple airstrikes on family homes Sunday that left several people dead and injured.
Pressure is mounting on both sides to reach a ceasefire deal that would include the release of hostages held in Gaza before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. Doha, the capital of Qatar, will meet with mediators in the last days.
An Israeli delegation remained in Doha over the weekend, according to an Israeli person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the confidential talks publicly. The person said the talks in Doha were moving slowly and were aimed at reaching a limited deal that would include a temporary cessation of hostilities and the release of some Israeli hostages in exchange for a number of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
Reflecting a continuing gap in at least public positions between the two sides, Hamas said in a statement on Friday that the current round of talks would focus on the details of an agreement leading to a full ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Gaza Strip. Israel has not committed to ending the war, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy. he said last week.
About 100 of the 250 people captured in October 2023 in the Hamas-led attacks that sparked the war are still being held hostage in Gaza. At least a third of them are believed to be dead.
A week-long cease-fire in November 2023 led to the release of 105 hostages, but subsequent efforts to broker a ceasefire have faltered amid gaps in the two sides' demands. Each side blames the other for not reaching an agreement.
Israeli officials recently said they believe Hamas is rebuilding its forces in Gaza. And the group appears to be recruiting new fighters faster than Israel can eliminate them.
According to information, security personnel The committee of the Israeli parliament was informed about this last week Hamas has up to 19,000 fighters, of which 9,000 are in organized groups. Israel before the war He estimated that Hamas had about 25,000 fighters, although Hamas has never confirmed the figure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he said In November, the Israeli army killed about 20,000 fighters.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 45 thousand Palestinians died during the war.
As hopes for even a limited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are rising again, Palestinians and human rights groups say. humanitarian situation It is getting more desperate in Gaza.
Palestine Red Crescent Society he said on Sunday Israel's airstrikes on al-Amal hospital in the south of Khan Younis city caused serious damage to several hospital facilities and killed one person.
Israeli forces last week raided the last remaining major hospital In northern Gaza, Kamal forced Advan and his staff and patients to evacuate. The Israeli army said that Kamal Advan is a stronghold of Hamas and that it carries out “targeted operations” in the region.
The hospital has been the main provider of medical care in the northernmost part of Gaza during the month-long Israeli offensive against a resurgent Hamas.
World Health Organization he said Kamal Advana said the raid had “taken out of service the last major health facility in northern Gaza” and that the remaining patients, caregivers and medical staff had been transferred to the Indonesian Hospital.
But on Sunday, Gaza's health ministry said an Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza was no longer serving the sick and wounded and was leaving the northern part of the enclave. without any functioning hospital amid almost continuous bombardment.
Aaron Boxerman contributed to this report.