MONITORING (SW) – An Israeli military strike has killed 12 people in a house in Gaza City, bringing the death toll from strikes across the Gaza Strip to 65 over the last day, Palestinian medics say, as mediators launched a new ceasefire push in Qatar.
Civil defense spokesperson Mahmud Bassal accused Israel of having “deliberately targeted” them to “affect the humanitarian supply chain and increase the suffering” of the population.
The Israeli army said the five had been “implicated in terrorist activities” and were not escorting aid trucks at the time of the strike.
Rescuers said strikes elsewhere in Gaza killed 10 other people.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said more than 130 people had been killed over a 48-hour period.
Late on Friday, Hamas had said indirect negotiations with Israel were to resume in Qatar that same night for a truce and hostage release deal.
The militant group, whose October 7 attack on southern Israel triggered the Gaza war, said talks would “focus on ensuring the agreement leads to a complete cessation of hostilities (and) the withdrawal of occupation forces”.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has since confirmed that indirect negotiations have resumed in Qatar, saying a delegation had left on Friday and that “efforts are underway to free the hostages” taken by Hamas in its October 7 attack on Israel.
Mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been engaged in months of effort that have failed to end nearly 15 months of war.
A key obstacle to a deal has been Israel’s reluctance to agree to a lasting ceasefire.
In December, Qatar expressed optimism that “momentum” was returning to the talks following the US election of Donald Trump, who takes office in 16 days.
But Hamas and Israel then accused each other of setting new conditions and obstacles.
