Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip overnight killed at least 18 people, including six women and four children, according to health officials. Among the dead were two women and their four children, ages 1 month to 9 years, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. One of the women was pregnant, and the baby did not survive. In Khan Younis, southern Gaza, 12 people were killed in two separate strikes. The Israeli military has yet to comment, but it maintains that its operations target militants, accusing them of hiding among civilians.
The ongoing war, which has lasted over 15 months, appears to be edging toward a potential ceasefire agreement. Diplomats have expressed optimism, with talks having resumed after numerous previous setbacks. A phased ceasefire deal, based on President Joe Biden’s framework endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, is being discussed. The first phase would see Hamas release dozens of vulnerable hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, with an Israeli pullback from certain population centers and an influx of humanitarian aid. The second phase would involve the release of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 250 hostages, marked the beginning of the war. At least 100 hostages are still believed to be held in Gaza, though the Israeli military estimates that many of them are likely dead.
The death toll in Gaza continues to rise, with over 46,000 Palestinians reported killed, many of them women and children. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired a missile at central Israel, triggering air-raid sirens but causing no casualties. The missile, which damaged homes outside Jerusalem, was likely intercepted by the Israeli military, which also reported intercepting previous missile strikes from Yemen.
The war has created a broader regional conflict, with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon engaging in combat with Israel, while tensions rise between Israel and Iran, which supports Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
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