Cairo: An Israeli airstrike targeted a school sheltering displaced individuals in Gaza City on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 Palestinians. This incident occurred hours after two strikes in the occupied West Bank killed nine militants, including a local Hamas commander, according to Hamas.
The Israeli military stated that the first West Bank airstrike targeted a vehicle near the city of Tulkarm, aiming at a militant cell allegedly en route to execute an attack. Hamas reported that a commander of its Tulkarm brigades was among those killed, while Islamic Jihad claimed the other four men as its fighters.
Later, a second airstrike in the same area targeted another group of militants who had fired at Israeli troops, according to Israel’s military, describing it as part of a counterterrorism operation in Tulkarm. The Palestinian news agency WAFA confirmed that four people died in this strike, and Hamas stated that all nine fatalities from the two West Bank attacks were fighters.
The violence in the West Bank has escalated even before the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and has intensified with frequent Israeli raids. Additionally, there has been a surge in anti-Israeli street attacks by Palestinians.
The latest strikes in Palestinian territories occur amidst increasing tensions between Israel, Iran, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, raising fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East. Diplomatic efforts by the U.S. and international partners, including France, Britain, Italy, and Egypt, continued on Saturday to prevent further regional escalation.
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Strikes in Gaza
In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli strike on a school in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood killed at least 15 people, according to the Hamas-run government media office. The Israeli military claimed that the school was used as a command center by Hamas to conceal militants and manufacture weapons, a charge that Hamas denies.
Earlier on Saturday, Israeli strikes in Rafah killed six people in a house and two others in Gaza City, as reported by Gaza health officials. The Israeli military stated that its forces targeted militants and destroyed Hamas infrastructure in Rafah and other parts of the enclave.
Gaza health officials report that at least 39,550 Palestinians have died in the ongoing Israeli military campaign, which was triggered by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in 1,200 deaths and 250 abductions, according to Israeli figures.
A high-level Israeli delegation made a brief visit to Cairo on Saturday in an attempt to resume ceasefire negotiations, according to Egyptian airport authority sources. The Israeli officials returned to Israel shortly after, as reported by Israeli media.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of trying to amend the “outline” of a potential agreement, referring to a proposal laid out by U.S. President Joe Biden in May. Hamas, however, blamed Netanyahu for not wanting to end the conflict.
The likelihood of a breakthrough remains slim as regional tensions have heightened following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander from Hezbollah. Both Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of Haniyeh’s assassination and vowed retaliation, although Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the need for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Saturday, emphasizing the importance of preventing the conflict from spreading.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty warned Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani of the “unprecedented, very dangerous” developments threatening regional stability. Additionally, the Italian Foreign Ministry called on Iran to exercise restraint and contribute to de-escalation efforts in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East, delivering this message to the Iranian ambassador in Rome.
