MONITORING (SW) – The civil defence service of Gaza said Israeli forces had killed 70 children across the enclave over five days as Israel sent several senior officials for talks in Doha on a potential ceasefire deal.
An Israeli attack on Saturday hit the Zainab al-Wazir school in northern Gaza’s Jabalia al-Balad area, killing eight civilians, including two women and two children, according to the Palestinian civil emergency service.
Palestinian children in Gaza continue to bear a heavy toll from Israel’s aggression, now in its 16th month.
The Israeli military’s operation that has been ongoing for 100 days in northern Gaza has resulted in 5,000 Palestinians being killed or missing, a medical source has told Al Jazeera.
They added that another 9,500 people were injured in the operation.
Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 46,565 Palestinians and injured 109,660 since Oct 7, 2023, the Palestinian enclave’s health ministry said, Reuters reports.
The ministry said 28 Palestinians were killed during the past 24 hours alone.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later spoke with outgoing US President Joe Biden, updating him on progress in negotiations to reach a deal for Israeli prisoners’ release.
In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said, “The prime minister discussed with the American president the progress in the negotiations” for the release of Israeli prisoners and updated the latter on the mandate he had given to the negotiating team in Doha.
Netanyahu is sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, in a sign of progress in talks on the war in Gaza.
Just one brief ceasefire has been achieved in 15 months of war, and that was in the earliest weeks of fighting. The talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly stalled since.
Hamas wants a full Israeli troop withdrawal from the largely devastated territory, but Netanyahu has insisted on destroying Hamas’ ability to fight in Gaza.
