Israeli airstrikes killed at least 15 people, including a child, early Saturday in southern Gaza, hospital staff said, while a new effort at ceasefire talks was said to be underway in Qatar.
The three airstrikes hit a car, a house and people on the street in the city of Khan Younis, according to staff at Nasser Hospital.
And the Civil Defense, first responders affiliated with the Hamas-run government, said an airstrike destroyed a residential area behind the Saraya complex in Gaza City, killing at least five people.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 59 people were killed and more than 270 were injured by strikes in the past 24 hours.
The Hamas militant group on Friday said talks had resumed and added that it was committed to reaching an agreement. It warned against misinformation, which it said can undermine public confidence.
The talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have repeatedly stalled as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to press on in Gaza until Hamas is destroyed. Fighters with Hamas, which wants Israeli forces out of Gaza completely, continue to regroup in areas where Israeli forces withdraw.
The war is by far the deadliest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas. It began when Hamas and other militants launched their Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 hostages. About 100 hostages are still in Gaza, at least a third of them believed to be dead.
The United States, Britain and other Western countries designate Hamas and Hezbollah as terror groups.
