Israeli raids kill dozens in the Gaza Strip as new ceasefire talks begin, by Reuters

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Dawoud Abu Alkas

CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) – Israeli military strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 70 people over the past day, Palestinian medics said on Saturday, as mediators launched a new ceasefire campaign to end the 15-month-old war.

Medics and residents said that at least 17 of the dead were killed in air strikes on two homes in Gaza City, the first of which destroyed the home of the Ghoula family in the early hours of the morning.

Ahmed Ayan, a neighbor, said, “At about two o’clock in the morning, we woke up to the sound of a huge explosion,” adding that 14 or 15 people were staying in the house.

Ayyan told Reuters, “Most of them are women and children, all of them are civilians, and there was no one who fired the rockets or from the resistance.”

People searched among the rubble for any survivors trapped under the rubble, and medics said that among the dead were several children. Some flames and lines of smoke were still rising from the burning furniture in the rubble hours after the attack.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the incident.

Another raid on a house in Gaza City killed five people later on Saturday, the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said, adding that at least 10 others were feared to be trapped under the rubble.

The Israeli army said earlier that its forces continued their operations this week in the town of Beit Hanoun on the northern edge of the Strip, where the army has been operating for three months, and destroyed a military complex used by Hamas.

Medics said that at least six other Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids in Jabalia in the north and near the town of Deir al-Balah in the center of the country.

Palestinian health officials said Saturday’s deaths brought the death toll to 70 since Friday.

Renewed efforts for a ceasefire

Renewed efforts are underway to reach a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas and return Israeli hostages before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.

Israeli mediators were sent to resume talks in Doha with Qatari and Egyptian mediation, and the administration of US President Joe Biden, which is helping to mediate the talks, urged Hamas on Friday to agree to an agreement.

Hamas said it was committed to reaching an agreement as soon as possible, but it was not clear how close the two sides were.

The armed group released a video on Saturday showing Israeli hostage Liri Albag – who local media said was a soldier – urging Israel to do more to secure the hostages’ release. She said their lives were in danger due to Israeli military action in Gaza.

Albag’s family said the video “torn our hearts apart.”

“This is not the daughter and sister we know. Her severe psychological distress is clear,” the family said in a statement, calling on the Israeli government and world leaders not to miss the opportunity to bring all the remaining hostages back to life.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response to the video that Israel continues to work tirelessly to return the hostages to their homeland.

“Anyone who dares to harm our hostages will bear full responsibility for his actions,” he added.

Israel launched its attack on Gaza in response to a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which militants stormed border communities from Gaza, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage, according to Israeli statistics.

Its military campaign, aimed at eliminating Hamas, has flattened vast swaths of the Strip, expelling most people from their homes, and killing 45,717 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.