Dozens of Israeli strikes pounded the Gaza Strip over the weekend as Israeli and Hamas officers resumed oblique cease-fire talks by way of mediators in Qatar.
Israel’s army mentioned on Sunday that it had hit greater than 100 targets throughout the enclave over the weekend, together with websites from which militants had fired projectiles towards Israeli territory. It mentioned the strikes had killed Hamas militants and that the army had taken measures to mitigate the chance of harming civilians. The claims couldn’t be independently verified.
The Gaza well being ministry mentioned in a press release on Sunday that 88 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes during the last 24 hours. The Gaza Civil Protection, an emergency companies company, mentioned that its crews had responded to a number of airstrikes on household properties on Sunday during which a number of folks have been killed and wounded.
Strain has been mounting on each side to achieve a cease-fire settlement that would come with the discharge of hostages held in Gaza earlier than President-elect Donald J. Trump takes workplace on Jan. 20.
On Friday evening, Hamas mentioned its officers would resume conferences within the Qatari capital of Doha to achieve a cease-fire deal. And Israel mentioned final week that it was additionally sending a delegation of midlevel safety officers to satisfy with mediators in Qatar.
Quite a few earlier rounds of negotiations have faltered amid gaps within the two sides’ calls for. And as hopes for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas rise once more, Palestinians and human rights organizations say the humanitarian state of affairs in Gaza is getting much more determined.
The Palestinian Pink Crescent Society mentioned on Sunday that in a single day Israeli airstrikes close to Al-Amal Hospital within the southern metropolis of Khan Younis precipitated important injury to a number of hospital services and killed one individual.
And Gaza’s well being ministry mentioned on Sunday that the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza was not offering companies to sufferers or the wounded — leaving the northern a part of the enclave with none functioning hospitals amid fixed bombardment.
Israel’s army has been mounting an offensive in northern Gaza for greater than three months towards what it says is a resurgent Hamas pressure.
Aaron Boxerman contributed to this report.
