GAZA CITY: The health ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that at least 43,341 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign in Gaza.
The toll includes 27 deaths over the past 24 hours, according to the ministry, which said 102,105 people have been injured in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have intensified air and ground strikes on Gaza, with a focus on northern regions where the IDF says it aims to prevent Hamas from regrouping. Palestinian officials accuse Israel of conducting “ethnic cleansing” through forced evacuations and intensified strikes on two northern towns and a camp.
Medical personnel reported that at least 13 Palestinians were killed in attacks on homes in Beit Lahiya and Jabalia, Gaza’s largest refugee camp. Other casualties were reported in Gaza City and the southern areas due to separate airstrikes.
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The Health Ministry has called for international medical aid, urging for medical and surgical teams to be dispatched to northern Gaza, where Kamal Adwan Hospital is under severe strain due to relentless Israeli bombardments.
In Jabalia, airstrikes hit a home belonging to the al-Najjar family, killing three people, while a strike on a residence in Beit Lahiya left five dead. In Rafah, an Israeli drone strike killed one person and injured two others, the Wafa news agency reported.
Meanwhile, efforts to negotiate a ceasefire remain stalled. Cairo has been mediating talks between Hamas and Fatah to form a governance committee for Gaza.
A senior Egyptian source told Al Qahera News TV that Hamas is pushing for a comprehensive truce that guarantees an end to the conflict.
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Meanwhile, the US has engaged in ceasefire talks with both sides, aiming to secure a truce ahead of the upcoming presidential election. However, Hamas has rejected a temporary ceasefire, demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of any deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his government’s commitment to ongoing military operations, reportedly telling US envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk on Thursday that Israeli security remains his top priority.
On Friday, Israeli and US officials, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, discussed diplomatic avenues to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and potential solutions to ease tensions in Lebanon, according to the State Department.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati criticized Israel’s approach, accusing it of hindering peace efforts. “Israeli statements and diplomatic signals confirm the Israeli stubbornness in rejecting proposed solutions and insisting on killing and destruction,” Mikati stated on Friday.
