Homes and a camp in Gaza City were hit by deadly Israeli air strikes as ceasefire talks continued

Sources close to the talks said American and Arab mediators were working around the clock to reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, while medics in the Gaza Strip said Israeli raids killed 41 Palestinians on Thursday.

In talks in Egypt and Qatar, the mediators are trying to reach an agreement to stop the 14-month-old war in the Hamas-ruled Strip, which would include the release of hostages taken from Israel on October 7, 2023, along with their release. Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The sources said that the mediators were able to narrow some of the gaps regarding the previous sticking points, but differences remained.

In Gaza, medics said at least 13 Palestinians were killed overnight in separate Israeli air strikes, including on two homes in Gaza City and a central camp.

Medics said an Israeli air strike killed nine people near the Beach refugee camp in Gaza City, while another strike killed four others in a housing project near Beit Lahia in the north.

Later on Thursday, air strikes killed at least 15 Palestinians in two shelters housing displaced families in the Al-Tuffah suburb east of Gaza City, medics said, bringing the death toll on Thursday to 41.

The Israeli army said it bombed Hamas fighters working in command and control compounds in areas that were previously used as Al-Karama and Shaaban schools in Al-Tuffah. It said Hamas used the compounds to plan and carry out attacks against its forces, but did not provide any evidence.

Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza, where the Israeli army has operated since October, said forces blew up groups of homes overnight.

Adel, 60, a resident of Jabalia, who is now displaced in Gaza, said: “The longer these talks go on, the more destruction and death will happen in Gaza. Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia are being eliminated, and Rafah as well.” city.

Signs of ethnic cleansing, relief group points to Israel

A report published by Doctors Without Borders on Thursday said there were clear signs of ethnic cleansing in the Israeli attack as Palestinians were forcibly displaced and bombed.

“The signs of ethnic cleansing and ongoing destruction – including mass killings, serious physical and mental injuries, forced displacement and impossible living conditions for Palestinians under siege and bombardment – ​​are undeniable,” said Christopher Lockyer, head of the relief organisation. In the report.

“Palestinians have been killed in their homes and in hospital beds… People cannot find even the most basic necessities such as food, clean water, medicines and soap amid a punitive siege and siege,” MSF said.

There was no immediate Israeli comment on the MSF report, but Israel has previously denied carrying out ethnic cleansing, and says its campaign aims to eliminate Hamas and prevent it from reorganizing its ranks.

Israel accuses the armed group of exploiting civilian infrastructure and residents as human shields. Hamas denies this.

Ceasefire talks continue

Sources close to the mediation efforts said that Hamas pushed for a one-package agreement, but Israel wants a phased agreement. The talks focus on releasing the first phase of hostages, alive or dead, in addition to a number of Palestinians detained by Israel.

A source who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks said that the two sides discussed, on Tuesday, the numbers and categories of those who will be released, but matters have not been finalized yet.

The source said that one of the issues is Israel’s request to reserve the right to act against any potential military threat from Gaza and the positioning of Israeli forces during the stages of the agreement.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Israel will take security control of Gaza after defeating Hamas.

Israel began its air and ground assault on Gaza after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli statistics.

Israel says about 100 hostages are still being held, but it is unclear how many are still alive.

The Israeli campaign led to the killing of more than 45,000 Palestinians, the displacement of most of the population of 2.3 million people, and the transformation of a large part of the coastal strip into rubble.

Thursday, Human Rights Watch said Israel has killed thousands of Palestinians in Gaza by depriving them of clean water, which it says legally amounts to acts of genocide and extermination.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the human rights organization of lying, saying that Israel had facilitated the continuous flow of water and humanitarian aid to Gaza since the beginning of the war despite ongoing attacks by Hamas.