Israeli Airstrikes Result in 15 Fatalities in Gaza as Cairo Engages in New Discussions with Hamas
Israeli military strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 15 Palestinians in Gaza, according to medics, as Israeli forces continued their bombardments throughout the enclave and demolished homes on the northern outskirts.
In the central Gaza camp of Nuseirat, an Israeli airstrike claimed the lives of six individuals in a home, while another attack in Gaza City left three dead, as reported by medics.
Two children lost their lives when a missile struck a tent settlement in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, and four others were reported killed in an airstrike in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, medics informed Reuters.
Residents indicated that the military destroyed clusters of homes in the northern Gaza areas of Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun, where Israeli forces have been active since October of this year.
Palestinian children gaze at a building that was devastated in an Israeli airstrike in Nuseirat, central Gaza.
The military claims to have killed hundreds of Hamas militants as part of its effort to prevent the faction from regrouping nearly 14 months after the onset of the war in Gaza. Hamas’s armed wing asserts it has inflicted casualties on many Israeli forces through anti-tank rocket and mortar attacks, as well as ambushes using explosive devices since the renewal of operations.
Progress on Gaza ceasefire and hostage negotiations
The White House is negotiating a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza but has stated it is “not there yet,” according to the US National Security Advisor in comments to US media.
“We are actively working to facilitate this. We are deeply engaged with critical players in the region, and discussions are ongoing even today,” stated Jake Sullivan, as reported by NBC.
“Further conversations and consultations will take place, and we hope to establish a ceasefire and hostage deal, but we have not reached that point yet,” he added.
In related news, two Palestinian detainees from Gaza died while in Israeli custody, as reported by prisoner advocacy groups, raising the death toll of detainees since the conflict started to 47.
The identified detainees were named as Mohammad Idris and Muath Rayyan, both in their 30s.
The Israel Prison Service mentioned that these cases fell outside its jurisdiction, and there was no immediate comment from the military overseeing detention facilities.
Israel has denied allegations from Palestinian and international human rights organizations regarding the mistreatment and torture of detainees in its prisons and detention centers.
Thousands of Israelis protested in Jerusalem yesterday, criticizing Benjamin Netanyahu and his government for not finalizing a ceasefire agreement with Gaza and for demanding a hostage swap deal with Palestinians.
According to Gaza officials, Israel’s military campaign has resulted in over 44,300 deaths and displaced nearly the entire population of the enclave, leaving vast areas of Gaza in ruins.
The conflict ignited when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, leading to approximately 1,200 fatalities and the abduction of more than 250 hostages, as reported by Israeli officials.
Aid delivery through the Kerem Shalom crossing has been suspended
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees announced the cessation of aid deliveries through the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza due to security concerns, according to its chief.
“We are pausing the delivery of aid through Kerem Shalom, the primary entry point for humanitarian assistance into Gaza. The routes from this crossing have been unsafe for months,” stated UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini in a post on X.
“On November 16, a significant convoy of aid trucks was hijacked by armed groups,” he noted. “Yesterday, attempts to deliver several food trucks along the same route resulted in their being seized,” he added, cautioning that hunger is “rapidly escalating” in Gaza.
Mr. Lazzarini explained that the humanitarian operation had become “unnecessarily impossible” due to “the ongoing siege, obstacles from Israeli authorities, political decisions to limit aid amounts, unsafe delivery routes, and targeting of local police.”
He urged Israel to ensure the flow of aid to Gaza and emphasized that the country “must abstain from attacks on humanitarian workers.”
This comes after an Israeli strike yesterday that killed three contractors of the US charity World Central Kitchen, including one whom Israel’s military alleged was involved in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.
Last month, the United Nations reported that 333 aid workers had been killed since the war’s inception in October of the previous year, with 243 being staff of UNRWA.
Mr. Lazzarini reiterated his appeal for a ceasefire “that would also ensure the safe and unhindered delivery of aid to those in need.”
Israel, which imposed a total blockade on the Hamas-controlled territory early in the conflict, attributes the inability of relief organizations to manage and distribute large quantities of aid to security concerns.
The war was triggered by a Palestinian militant attack on southern Israel in October 2023, which resulted in 1,207 fatalities, the majority of whom were civilians, according to an AFP assessment of Israeli government figures.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has reportedly killed 44,382 individuals in Gaza, based on data from the territory’s health ministry, which is regarded as reliable by the United Nations.
