At least 38 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in Israeli air strikes, according to hospital officials, as Israel’s military reported striking over 100 targets in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours.
These strikes occurred as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to travel to Washington for discussions at the White House, aiming to advance ceasefire initiatives.
Separately, an Israeli official stated that the country’s security cabinet approved, on Saturday night, the delivery of aid to northern Gaza, where civilians are facing severe food shortages.
Meanwhile, in Yemen, a Houthi rebel spokesperson announced in a pre-recorded message that the group launched ballistic missiles targeting Ben Gurion airport overnight. The Israeli military reported that these missiles were intercepted.
US President Donald Trump has proposed an initial 60-day ceasefire, involving a partial release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza. The proposed truce also calls for discussions to bring the 21-month war to a complete end.
Approximately 20 people were killed and 25 wounded after Israeli strikes hit two houses in Gaza City, according to Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of Shifa Hospital.
In southern Gaza, 18 Palestinians were killed in strikes in Muwasi, a coastal area where many displaced people reside in tents, according to officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The Associated Press reported that five of the deceased were members of the same family.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the specific strikes, but stated that it had targeted 130 locations across the Gaza Strip in the last day.
The military added that the strikes targeted Hamas command and control centers, storage facilities, weapons, and launchers, and resulted in the deaths of several militants in northern Gaza.
The conflict began with a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages.
Israel retaliated with an offensive that has resulted in the deaths of over 57,000 Palestinians, with more than half being women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The ministry, which operates under the Hamas government in Gaza, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The UN and other international organizations recognize its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.
These strikes occur as efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement appear to be gaining traction. Mr. Netanyahu’s office announced that his government will send a negotiating team to Qatar on Sunday for indirect talks, adding that Hamas is seeking “unacceptable” changes to the proposal.
The planned talks in Qatar precede Mr. Netanyahu’s scheduled visit to Washington on Monday to meet with Mr. Trump to discuss the deal. It remains uncertain whether an agreement will be reached before the Israeli Prime Minister’s White House meeting.
Hamas is seeking assurances that the initial truce will lead to a complete cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Previous negotiations have stalled due to Hamas’s demands for guarantees that further negotiations would lead to the end of the war, while Mr. Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will resume fighting to ensure the militant group’s destruction.
