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Israeli airstrikes killed at least 50 people in Gaza on Thursday and Friday, including children and Hamas officers. The strikes hit multiple locations, including a designated humanitarian zone. Simultaneously, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized a delegation to pursue ceasefire negotiations in Qatar. The delegation, comprising members of the Mossad, Shin Bet, and the military, is expected to depart Friday, according to Israeli media. Hamas has not yet commented. Previous US-led ceasefire talks have repeatedly failed over the past 15 months of conflict.
One strike hit the Muwasi humanitarian zone, where displaced Palestinians sought shelter. “Everyone was taking shelter in their tents from the cold, and suddenly we found the world turning upside down. Why, and for what?” said Ziyad Abu Jabal, displaced from Gaza City. The strike killed at least 10 people, including three children and two Hamas police officers. Israel stated it targeted a senior police officer involved in intelligence gathering for Hamas attacks.
Another strike in Deir al-Balah killed eight members of local aid convoy security committees, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. In southern Gaza, five policemen were killed in Khan Younis. An Israeli spokesman said the strike targeted the head of Hamas internal security in southern Gaza, alleging he was hiding in the humanitarian zone.
Israel has repeatedly targeted Gaza’s police force, claiming Hamas uses aid for its own purposes. This has contributed to a breakdown of law and order and hindered aid delivery. Before the war, the Hamas police force maintained public security. Now, their presence is diminished.
Three more Palestinians were killed in Maghazi while walking in the street. Additional strikes in central Gaza, including Maghazi and the Nuseirat refugee camp, killed at least 24 people, including children, late Thursday and early Friday.
The ongoing war began with the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack into Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of about 250. Around 100 hostages remain in Gaza. The ensuing Israeli offensive has killed over 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry’s tally doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas’s tactics.
Netanyahu was released from the hospital Thursday after prostate surgery. He briefly left the hospital Tuesday to participate in a parliamentary vote. Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until Hamas is destroyed. Despite setbacks, Hamas has regrouped in areas like northern Gaza after Israeli withdrawals.
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