GAZA CITY: Deadly Israeli strikes hit Gaza and Lebanon on Saturday as the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to visit Israel aiming to finalize a Gaza ceasefire agreement, which diplomats say could avert a wider regional war.
In southern Lebanon, an Israeli air strike killed at least 10 people, including a Syrian woman and her two children, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The strike is reported to be among the deadliest in southern Lebanon since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which intensified following the start of the Gaza war in October. The Israeli military confirmed the strike was aimed at a Hezbollah weapons storage facility.
In Gaza, an Israeli air raid on Al-Zawaida resulted in the deaths of 15 persons from a single Palestinian family. “We are in the morgue seeing indescribable scenes of limbs and severed heads and children who are dismembered,” said Omar al-Dreemli, a relative.
Since October 7, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 40,074 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the territory’s health ministry reported.
Eyewitnesses have described harrowing scenes of destruction and suffering, with victims including dismembered children and severed limbs.
The ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign has led to widespread devastation in Gaza, displacing the majority of the population and destroying much of the region’s infrastructure.
The conflict has also led to the spread of diseases, including polio, which has reemerged in Gaza after 25 years. The United Nations has appealed for two seven-day pauses in the fighting to facilitate vaccination efforts for children against polio.
US President Joe Biden expressed cautious optimism about the prospects of a ceasefire, stating that “we are closer than we have ever been” to reaching an agreement. However, previous efforts to negotiate a truce have faltered, and skepticism remains high. Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior official of Hamas, dismissed Biden’s comments as an “illusion.”
The recent escalation follows the killings of prominent figures in the conflict. In late July, the deaths of Fuad Shukr, a Hezbollah operations chief, and Ismail Haniyeh, a key Hamas leader, led to vows of retaliation from Hezbollah, Iran, and other allied groups. Hezbollah released a video showing its fighters transporting large missiles through tunnels, further inflaming tensions.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Saturday with the aim of finalizing a ceasefire agreement and securing the release of hostages.
The State Department emphasized the urgency of concluding a deal and warned against any actions that might undermine the ongoing negotiations. The mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the US have been working to finalize a ceasefire framework and are set to resume talks in Cairo before the end of the week.
Hamas, however, has expressed resistance to new conditions proposed by Israel, including restrictions on prisoner releases. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has outlined its conditions for a truce, including specific terms regarding detainees, which have been criticized by some as impeding the negotiation process.
In Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with French counterpart Stéphane Sejourne to discuss efforts to contain the escalation and achieve a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has blamed Netanyahu for obstructing the deal and called for increased pressure on Israel.
As truce talks took place, thousands of Palestinian civilians were on the move again after the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders ahead of imminent military action in central-southern Gaza.
“During each round of negotiations, they exert pressure by forcing evacuations and committing massacres,” said Issa Murad, a Palestinian displaced to Deir el-Balah.
