|
Listen to article
|
The Gaza Civil Defense Agency confirmed on Sunday that Israeli military strikes had left 28 Palestinians dead, bringing the toll of casualties even higher amid the ongoing conflict, now more than 14 months into the Israel-Hamas war. As the violence continues to escalate, the effects on civilians grow ever more devastating.
Even as Israeli strikes rained down, Palestinian groups embroiled in the war declared on Sunday that a ceasefire was “closer than ever,” offering a rare glimmer of hope amidst the turmoil.
This statement contrasts sharply with the relentless violence, suggesting that diplomatic efforts may be edging toward fruition despite the ongoing hostilities.
Israel has increasingly come under fire for its conduct during the ongoing war, which was sparked by Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023.
Human rights organizations have accused Israel of committing “acts of genocide,” allegations the Israeli government has vehemently rejected, continuing to defend its military operations as necessary for national security.
Pope Francis, speaking on Sunday, sharply criticized the “cruelty” of Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, drawing particular attention to the deaths of children and the destruction of essential institutions like schools and hospitals.
This was the second consecutive day he voiced such condemnation, even as Israel responded by accusing him of “double standards.”
On the ground in Gaza, Civil Defence Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said at least 13 people were killed in an air strike on a house in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah belonging to the Abu Samra family.
An AFP photographer saw residents searching through the debris for survivors, while others looked for belongings they could salvage.
Read also: Trump To Gaza: Free Hostages Or Suffer Dire Consequences
In a nearby compound, bodies covered in blankets lay on the sandy ground. The military said it targeted an Islamic Jihad militant who was operating in Deir el-Balah.
“According to an initial examination, the reported number of casualties resulting from the strike does not align with the information held by the IDF (military),” it said to AFP in a statement, which did not give its toll.
“We are… losing loved ones every day,” said Deir el-Balah resident Naim al-Ramlawi.
“I pray to God that a truce will be reached soon” and would allow Gazans to finally “live a decent life, instead of this miserable life”, he said.
The military also confirmed a separate strike further north, on a school in Gaza City.
Bassal said eight people including four children were killed in the attack on the school, which had been repurposed as a shelter for Palestinians displaced by the war.
