Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip). 28 people, including children, were killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza on Saturday night and Sunday. Health officials gave this information. At the same time, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left for West Asia on Sunday with the aim of getting a ceasefire agreement after months of complex negotiations. After two days of talks in Doha, the US and its allies mediator countries Egypt and Qatar seem to be getting close to an agreement. American and Israeli officials have expressed hope about the agreement. But Hamas has indicated to continue the fighting.
The ceasefire proposal calls for a three-step process under which Hamas will release all hostages taken during the October 7 attack. In return, Israel will withdraw its troops from Gaza and release Palestinian prisoners. The mediators hope to end the war, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, displaced many of Gaza’s more than 2.3 million residents and caused a humanitarian catastrophe, according to local health officials.
Experts have warned of famine and the spread of diseases such as polio. Nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in attacks by Hamas militants on Israel on October 7, while about 250 people were kidnapped. About 110 of them are believed to still be in Gaza, while Israeli officials say about a third of them have died. More than 100 hostages were released during a week-long ceasefire in November. Israel resumed bombing early Sunday, hitting a house in Deir al-Balah, killing a woman and her six children, according to Al Aqsa Hospital.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, two men, a woman and her daughter were killed in an attack on two apartments in the northern city of Jabalia. Nine people were killed in two other attacks in central Gaza, according to al-Awda Hospital. According to Nasser Hospital, four members of the same family, including two women, were killed in an attack near the southern city of Khan Younis late Saturday night. Months of efforts to stop the war have gained momentum after the targeted killing of two top extremists last month. Israel has been accused of killing both extremists.
On the other hand, Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to avenge the death of both extremists, raising the fear of a full-fledged war in West Asia. Meanwhile, an Israeli delegation will visit the Egyptian capital Cairo on Sunday for talks, while Blinken is likely to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Hamas has expressed doubts about an agreement in the near future. It has said that the latest proposal is very different from the previous proposal, which it had accepted in principle.
