Israeli strikes killed at least 72 people across Gaza overnight and into Saturday, health workers said, as ceasefire prospects were said to be improving after 21 months of war.
Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said.
“What did these children do to them? What is their fault?” asked the children’s grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept.
Photo: AFP
Some placed red flowers into the body bags.
Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, staff at Al-Shifa Hospital said.
More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, health officials said.
A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. Another strike on a gathering in eastern Gaza City killed eight including five children, the hospital said.
A strike on a gathering at the entrance to the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed two, al-Awda Hospital said.
US President Donald Trump said there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week.
Taking questions from reporters on Friday, he said that “we’re working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.”
An official with knowledge of the situation on condition of anonymity said that Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is to go to Washington next week for talks on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other subjects.
Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory’s dire humanitarian crisis. About 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking the war.
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