An Israeli attack on Gaza killed at least 20 Palestinians on Saturday, local health officials said, as Qatar hoped for new momentum in efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the reported attacks in Gaza City and Rafah. According to residents and doctors, at least eight of the dead were civilians. It was unclear if the remaining fighters were killed and Reuters could not independently verify the figures.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Qatar is engaging with the incoming Trump administration in Gaza after sensing new momentum for ceasefire talks following the US election.
Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy has traveled to Qatar and Israel to kick-start the US president’s diplomatic push for a ceasefire and hostage-release deal ahead of his inauguration on January 20, a source briefed on the talks told Reuters on Thursday.
The war in Gaza has been raging for more than 14 months, with much of the enclave in ruins and more than 44,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza health officials, as Israeli forces continue their campaign to wipe out Hamas and rescue militant hostages. group.
The deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages back in Gaza.
In the occupied West Bank on Saturday, a Palestinian man was killed when Israeli forces opened fire at a checkpoint, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Police said a security guard shot him after he threw firecrackers at the balls and a knife was found on his person.