Dozens killed in Gaza despite hopes of Hamas-Israel ceasefire
Israel has stepped up its offensive in the Palestinian enclave in recent weeks and maintained its military operation against Hamas, despite agreeing to the conditions of a US-led ceasefire proposal this week.
Those killed on Thursday local time included 38 people waiting for humanitarian aid at three separate locations in central and southern Gaza and a child killed by a drone in Jabalia in the north.
Gaza civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal said 15 people, "the majority of them children and women", were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli air strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City.
Regarding that incident, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told AFP news agency it "struck a key Hamas terrorist who was operating in a Hamas command and control centre in Gaza City".
"Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence," it added.
Regarding numerous other strikes across the territory on Thursday, it said it could not comment in detail without precise coordinates and times.
"In response to Hamas's barbaric attacks, the IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities," it told AFP.
It said it "follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm".
The war in Gaza began when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Most of the population of more than 2 million has been displaced, triggering widespread hunger and leaving much of the territory in ruins.
Despite daily strikes in Gaza, Israeli officials have been expressing increasing optimism that a ceasefire and hostage deal could be reached, nearly 21 months after the war with Hamas began.
Efforts for a Gaza truce have gathered steam after the US secured a ceasefire to end a 12-day aerial war between Israel and Iran.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that Israel had accepted the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas, during which the parties will work to end the war.
Egyptian security sources said Egyptian and Qatari mediators were working to secure US and international guarantees that talks on ending the war would continue as a way of convincing Hamas to accept the two-month truce proposal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington DC on Monday.
Despite hopes of a ceasefire, Israel has in recent days expanded its military operations in Gaza in what it says is a fresh bid to target Hamas.
On Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu vowed to destroy Hamas to its "foundation".
Reuters/AFP
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