Palestinian doctors said on Saturday that at least 70 people had been killed in Israeli military attacks in the Gaza Strip in the past day. Doctors and local residents said at least 17 people were killed in air strikes on two houses in Gaza City, one of which was completely destroyed.
A local told that we woke up at around 2 am in the night to the sound of a big explosion. He told that when we looked outside, there was an attack on a house in which 14 to 15 people lived.
The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said five people were killed in another attack on a house in Gaza City on Saturday. And at least 10 other people are feared trapped under the debris.
At least six other Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks near Jabaliya in the north and the central city of Deir al-Balah, medics said.
70 people killed in 24 hours
At the same time, Palestinian health officials said that with the deaths on Saturday, the death toll since Friday has reached 70.
targeted terrorists
The Israeli military said it targeted Hamas militants overnight near Salah al-Din in southern Gaza and attacked a vehicle in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. He also said that Hamas fired a missile which hit near the Erez crossing in Gaza.
The army had earlier said its forces this week continued their offensive in the town of Beit Hanoun, located at the northern end of the enclave, where forces had been operating for three months. And it has destroyed a military complex used by Hamas.
Talks on ceasefire continue
At the same time, before America’s newly elected President Donald Trump takes oath on January 20, fresh talks are going on between Israel and Hamas for ceasefire and return of Israeli hostages.
Israeli mediators were sent to restart talks in Doha brokered by Qatar and Egypt, and US President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday appealed to Hamas to agree to a deal.
Hamas said it is committed to reaching a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible, but it is unclear how close the two sides are.
Hamas released video
The armed group released a video on Saturday, which showed Israeli hostage Liri Albagh. Local media has described him as a soldier. Meanwhile, while speaking on the video, the Albagh family said that the video has completely broken our hearts.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response to the video that Israel is making every effort to bring back the hostages. Anyone who tries to harm our hostages will have to face the consequences themselves.
Let us tell you that the war between Israel and Hamas started when Hamas-led terrorists attacked Southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage. About 100 hostages are still in Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed dead.