At least 22 Palestinians were killed on Saturday as Israeli airstrikes intensified in Gaza, according to local medical sources.
The Israeli military confirmed targeting Hamas operatives operating from shelters and aid storage facilities in response to ongoing rocket fire from Gaza.
Details of the Attacks
In Deir Al-Balah, located in central Gaza, an airstrike near the municipality building claimed the lives of at least 10 people. The victims had gathered at the site to receive aid, medics reported. The casualties, including the head of Hamas’s central Gaza administrative committee, Diab Ali al-Jaru, were transported to hospitals using makeshift means such as rickshaws and private vehicles. Al-Jaru, who also served as the mayor of Deir Al-Balah, was identified as a key target of the strike, according to the Israeli military.
Four additional fatalities occurred in another strike in the same area.
Elsewhere, Israeli aircraft targeted militants and weapon caches near an aid warehouse after reports of rockets being fired into Israel from the location on Friday. A subsequent airstrike in Gaza City killed seven, including a woman and her infant, according to local medics.
Journalist Casualty
In a separate strike in Gaza City, journalist Mohammed Baalousha, working for Dubai-based Al Mashhad television, was killed. This brings the number of journalists killed in Gaza during the conflict to at least 137, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Wider Conflict Overview
The conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas militants launched a deadly incursion into Israel, has resulted in widespread devastation in Gaza. Israeli authorities report that the Hamas attack killed over 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and saw more than 250 hostages taken to Gaza. In retaliation, Israel launched a large-scale offensive, which, according to Gaza health officials, has killed nearly 45,000 people, mostly civilians, and displaced the majority of the population.
Efforts Toward a Ceasefire
Recent diplomatic efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States aim to broker a ceasefire and negotiate a potential hostages-for-prisoners deal. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with U.S. officials on Saturday to advance these discussions.
