CAIRO. At least 40 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli military strikes in Gaza overnight and into Friday, according to medics, as ceasefire negotiations gain momentum with Hamas officials set to hold talks in Cairo.
Medical teams reported recovering 19 bodies in northern Nuseirat, one of Gaza’s long-standing refugee camps, while another strike in Beit Lahiya killed at least 10 people in a single house. Additional casualties were reported across northern and southern Gaza, bringing the death toll from the past 24 hours to 70, as estimated by Hamas, the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service, and WAFA, the Palestinian official news agency.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment on Friday but previously stated it was continuing to “strike terror targets as part of the operational activity in the Gaza Strip.” On Thursday, tanks entered northern and western parts of Nuseirat but later withdrew from the northern areas, leaving behind widespread destruction. Residents returned to assess the damage, many encountering tragic scenes.
In one instance, a grief-stricken man was heard sobbing beside his wife’s body, covered on a stretcher. “Forgive me, my wife, forgive me, my Ibtissam, forgive me, my dear,” he cried.
Among the victims was Dr. Ahmed Al-Kahlout, head of the Intensive Care Unit at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, who was killed by an Israeli drone strike, according to medics. Reuters informed us that the Israeli military was unaware of an incident that matched that description.
Kamal Adwan Hospital and other northern Gaza medical facilities are barely operational due to severe shortages of medicine, fuel, and food. Health officials reported that much of the staff had been detained or expelled by the Israeli military.
Meanwhile, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and accused Israel of using “the weapon of starvation against the people in northern Gaza to displace them from their land and homes.”
Renewed Ceasefire Talks in Cairo
Late Friday, two Hamas officials confirmed that a delegation would travel to Cairo on Saturday for discussions with Egyptian mediators. The talks coincide with renewed U.S. diplomatic efforts involving Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey to revive stalled negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire.
The conflict, which began 13 months ago following a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and captured over 250 hostages, has left Gaza in ruins. Local officials estimate nearly 44,300 fatalities, with nearly the entire population displaced at least once.
U.S. President Joe Biden recently announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, urging all parties to build on the momentum to halt hostilities in Gaza. “We must seize this moment for peace,” Biden said earlier this week.
As violence rages on, hopes for a ceasefire remain tenuous, with Gaza residents continuing to bear the brunt of the devastating conflict.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
