An Israeli airstrike kills 18 members of a family in Gaza as mediators hope for a cease-fire
An Israel airstrike in Gaza killed at least 18 people, all from the same family, on Saturday, hours after mediators expressed optimism for an cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Saturday’s airstrike hit a house and adjacent warehouse sheltering displaced people at the entrance to the town of Zawaida, according to the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah, where casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter there counted the dead.
Among those killed was Sami Jawad al Ejlah, a wholesaler who coordinated with the Israeli military to bring meat and fish to Gaza. The dead also included his two wives, 11 of their children, ages 2 to 22, the children’s grandmother and three other relatives, according to a list provided by the hospital.
“He was a peaceful man,” said Abu Ahmed, a neighbor. More than 40 civilians were sheltering in the house and warehouse at the time, he said.
The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, said it struck “terrorist infrastructure” in central Gaza from where rockets had been fired toward Israel in recent weeks.
Mohammad Abu Al-Qumsan lost his children, wife, and mother-in-law in an Israeli strike that hit a Gaza Strip apartment building while he was away.
Hours before the strike, officials from the United States, Egypt and Qatar ended two days of cease-fire talks and expressed hope that a deal could be reached. A joint statement said a proposal to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas was presented and they expect to work out implementation details next week in Cairo.
The mediation efforts aim to secure the release of scores of Israeli hostages and stop the fighting that has devastated Gaza, where the death toll has surpassed 40,000 and a possible polio outbreak is feared. Talks are also meant to calm regional tensions that have threatened to explode into a wider war if Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon attack Israel in retaliation for recent killings of militant leaders.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken planned to travel to Israel over the weekend and was expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
Another mass evacuation ordered in Gaza
Another mass evacuation was ordered for parts of central Gaza. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee, in a post on X, said Palestinians in and around the urban Maghazi refugee camp should leave, citing Palestinian rocket fire.
Ahmad Omrani, one of those affected by the order, watched as heavily laden vehicles, bikes and donkey carts weaved through rubble.
“The suffering began from the day we left our homes,” said Omrani. “We suffer from fear and anxiety, and fear for the children playing in the street. You cannot sleep, sit or eat well.”
The vast majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced, often multiple times, and around 84% of the territory has been put under evacuation orders by the Israeli military, according to the United Nations.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 to Gaza. More than 100 were released in a November cease-fire. Around 110 are believed to be in Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe around a third are dead.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday at least 40,074 Palestinians have been killed; its numbers do not distinguish between fighters and civilians. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 Hamas militants, but has not provided evidence.
Associated Press writer Shurafa reported from Deir al Balah, Magdy from Cairo. AP writer Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.
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