Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 07:21 pm
Gaza, Palestine — In an Israeli airstrike that hit the town of Zawayda in the Gaza Strip, at least 17 Palestinians, including eight children and four women, were killed, said local health officials on Saturday. The residential area was targeted in the overnight attack, where most victims belonged to the same family.
Evacuation Orders Step Up
The army of Israel ordered new evacuations of central Gaza, due to an attack blamed on rocket fire from Hamas militants. The military-issued X notice on Thursday called on residents in the affected areas, which include the Maghazi district near Zawayda, to move to zones that it perceives as safe for humanitarian reasons; thousands have been further displaced in fleeing their homes for safety.
Humanitarian Concerns and Military Justifications
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that the orders given on Friday have affected a total of 170,000 displaced people. The Israeli military has justified the orders, claiming operatives are taking advantage of civilian areas to launch rocket attacks – thereby “justifying” the military action.
Residents of the central enclave said Israeli tanks moved deeper into the eastern area of Deir Al-Balah, an area which has not been entered by the tanks earlier. Military said it had killed dozens of operatives since Friday, including several said responsible for rocket launching from central and southern Gaza.
Ceasefire Talks Stalled
Meanwhile, ceasefire talks in Doha involving the United States, Qatar, and Egypt were suspended on Friday, with expectations of resuming the talks the following week. US President Joe Biden voiced cautious optimism about reaching a ceasefire and hostage release deal but warned that negotiations were “far from over.”
The war that began on October 7, when Hamas launched an attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and then took around 250 hostages, has brought disaster to the Gaza Strip. More than 40,000 Palestinians – civilians for the most part, local health authorities report – have been killed in the conflict. Israel’s military has lost 330 soldiers and insists an extensive percentage of Palestinian casualties were combatants.