42 Killed In Israeli Strikes In Gaza As ceasefire Talks Set To Resume In Qatar

Gaza: Israeli airstrikes have reportedly killed at least 42 people in Gaza, including women and children. According to the health officials and emergency workers, the strikes were carried out on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. The violence continued as both Israel's military and Gaza's health workers exchanged conflicting reports about evacuation orders for hospitals in northern Gaza.

Reports suggested that the strikes targeted various areas in central Gaza, including Nuseirat, Zawaida, Maghazi, and Deir al-Balah. Dozens of people were killed across the enclave the previous day. “We woke up to the missile strike. We found the whole house disintegrated,” Abdul Rahman Al-Nabrisi said in the Maghazi refugee camp. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported that more than a dozen women and children were among those killed in the strikes.

Later, airstrikes killed three people in a car in Zawaida, and seven others, including four children, died in the Shijaiyah neighbourhood outside Gaza City. Another airstrike hit the Al-Samer junction in Gaza City, killing two people.

The Israeli military claimed to have hit dozens of Hamas targets across Gaza, including command centres and gathering points. They also issued warnings to residents to leave certain areas in central Gaza, saying they would strike after Hamas fired rockets toward Israel.

On the same day, freelance journalist Omar al-Derawi was killed by an airstrike in Gaza. Al-Derawi was among over 130 journalists reported killed in the war.

Meanwhile, Israel itself faced missile attacks. Missiles were fired from Yemen, activating air raid sirens in Jerusalem and central Israel, but no immediate injuries or damage were reported. The Houthi rebels in Yemen, backed by Iran, often claim responsibility for such attacks.

In northern Gaza, concerns over hospital evacuations have grown. Al-Awda Hospital and the Indonesian Hospital, both located in the region, reported receiving evacuation orders from the Israeli military. However, Israel’s military denied ordering any evacuation of these hospitals, stating there was no need for evacuation.

The health situation in Gaza remains dire, with hospitals being targeted and health workers risking their lives to treat the injured. The United Nations has reported at least 136 strikes on medical facilities in Gaza, causing significant casualties among doctors and nurses and destroying hospitals.

As the war continues, indirect ceasefire talks are set to resume in Qatar. However, progress has been slow, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will continue military operations in Gaza until Hamas is fully defeated.

The war, which began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, has led to the deaths of more than 45,500 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Many of those killed are women and children. The conflict has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza, and winter conditions are worsening as hundreds of thousands of people shelter in tents near the sea.

Israel’s military maintains that its operations only target Hamas militants, blaming the group's use of residential areas for civilian casualties. However, both sides continue to blame each other for the heavy toll on civilians.