War between Israel and Hamas: Israeli airstrike in Gaza Strip kills 18 family members

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip killed at least 18 people, all from the same family, on Saturday, just hours after mediators expressed optimism about an imminent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after 10 months of war.

A joint statement The United States, Egypt and Qatar announced after two days of talks that a proposal to bridge the differences had been put forward, with implementation details expected to be worked out in Cairo next week.

The mediation efforts aim to secure the release of numerous Israeli hostages and to end the fighting that has devastated Gaza, where the Death toll exceeds 40,000 And a possible polio outbreak is feared. The talks are also intended to calm regional tensions that threaten to escalate into a larger war if Iran and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon attack Israel in retaliation for recent killings of militant leaders.

Saturday's airstrike hit a house and an adjacent warehouse housing displaced people at the entrance to the town of Zawaida, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where victims were taken. An Associated Press reporter counted the number of dead there.

Among those killed was Sami Jawad al-Ejlah, a wholesaler who coordinated with the Israeli military to transport meat and fish to Gaza. Also among the dead were his two wives, 11 of their children aged between 2 and 22, the children's grandmother and three other relatives, according to a list provided by the hospital.

“He was a peaceful man,” said Abu Ahmed, a neighbor. More than 40 civilians were seeking shelter in the house and warehouse at the time, he said.

The Israeli military, which rarely comments on individual attacks, said it had hit “terrorist infrastructure” in central Gaza, where rockets have been fired at Israel in recent weeks. It said it was continuing its attacks on militants in central Gaza.

Another mass evacuation ordered in Gaza Strip

Another mass evacuation was ordered for parts of the central Gaza Strip. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee, in a post on X, referred to Palestinian rocket fire and demanded that Palestinians in areas in and around the city's Maghazi refugee camp leave the camp.

“The suffering started from the day we left our homes,” said Ahmad Omrani, one of those affected by the order, as heavily laden vehicles, bicycles and donkey carts drove through the rubble. “We suffer from fear and anxiety and are afraid for the children playing in the streets. You cannot sleep, sit or eat well.”

The vast majority of Gaza’s population is distributed, often multiple timesand according to the United Nations, an evacuation order has been issued by the Israeli military for around 84% of the territory.

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 into Gaza. More than 100 were released in a ceasefire in November. About 110 people are believed to be in Gaza, but Israeli authorities believe about a third are dead.

Israel claims to have killed more than 17,000 Hamas fighters, but provides no evidence.

Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 40,074 Palestinians had been killed in the war. does not differentiate between fighters and civilians.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Israeli military said it had attacked a “terrorist cell” in Jenin. The local health ministry said two bodies had been taken to a state hospital. Hamas described the two men as commanders of its military wing.

Ceasefire and implementation plans

The mediators have tried for months a three-phase plan In it, Hamas would release the hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians held captive by Israel.

The efforts have gained urgency in recent weeks after Killing of a high-ranking Hezbollah commander in an Israeli air strike in Beirut and by The top political leader of Hamas in an explosion in Tehran The blame for this was largely placed on Israel.

Israel and Hezbollah have been firing at each other since the beginning of the war. Israeli attack on Saturday At least ten Syrians were killed, including a woman and her two children, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Israel said it had attacked a Hezbollah weapons depot.

In an apparent sign of trust, the mediators had already begun preparations to implement the ceasefire proposal before it was even adopted, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with rules set by the White House.

The Israeli negotiating team expressed its “cautious optimism about the possibility of an agreement” to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said in a statement.

An Israeli official said a delegation would travel to Cairo on Sunday to continue talks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the sensitive talks with the media.

But Hamas has expressed doubts whether an agreement was in sight, and said the latest proposal deviates significantly from a previous iteration They had accepted this in principle. Hamas has rejected Israel's demands for a permanent military presence along the border with Egypt and a line through the Gaza Strip where it would search Palestinians returning to their homes for militants.

Israel has shown flexibility on the withdrawal from the border corridor, and a meeting between Egyptian and Israeli military officials is scheduled for next week to agree on a withdrawal mechanism, two Egyptian officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private negotiations.

Thousands of Israelis demonstrated again on Saturday evening for a ceasefire. “We also need the ceasefire for our security, because the army is not able to fight for many more months,” said demonstrator Uri Aluma.

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Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to the report.

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