An Israeli airstrike in the Gaza town of Zawayda has claimed the lives of at least 17 Palestinians, with health officials reporting a significant number of injuries.
The majority of the victims were from the same family, including eight children and four women, as the missiles struck their home while they slept. A local resident, Abu Ahmed Hassan, reported that the targeted house belonged to a known merchant and emphasized the absence of any military activity in the area.
The Israeli military, however, justified the strike as a response to rocket fire from militants in the vicinity. They have issued evacuation orders for parts of central Gaza, including Maghazi, claiming that militants are using these areas as launching pads for attacks. Despite these claims, reports have yet to confirm if Zawayda falls under the evacuation directive or if residents have received the military’s instructions. Meanwhile, thousands have been fleeing Maghazi.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted the scale of the evacuation, which affects around 170,000 displaced individuals. The order has significantly reduced the ‘humanitarian zone’ to about 41 square kilometers, representing a mere 11% of the Gaza Strip’s total area.
On the ground, Israeli tanks have advanced into new territories in Deir Al-Balah, an area previously untouched by their operations. The Israeli military claims to have killed dozens of militants since Friday, including those responsible for rocket attacks from central and southern Gaza. The ongoing conflict has displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, leaving the enclave in ruins.
In the realm of diplomacy, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to arrive in Israel, with a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Diplomatic efforts to end the fighting and secure the release of remaining Israeli hostages are intensifying. Ceasefire negotiations, mediated by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt, are set to resume next week. Israel’s negotiating team, while cautiously optimistic about progressing on a new deal, remains wary. U.S. President Joe Biden has indicated that a deal might be within reach but cautioned that negotiations are still ongoing. Hamas, on the other hand, has dismissed these claims, asserting that Israel has yet to agree to the ceasefire proposal from July 2.
The conflict, which erupted on October 7 following a Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in 1,200 deaths and about 250 hostages, has led to a devastating Israeli military campaign. This offensive has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, the majority being civilians, while Israel has reported the loss of 331 soldiers, with a claim that a third of the Palestinian casualties were combatants.
