Say Gaza rescuers; Qatar claims Israel ‘did not abide’ by truce deal
Gaza's civil defence agency said yesterday that a series of Israeli air strikes killed at least 40 people, most of them in encampments for displaced civilians, as Israel pressed its unrelenting military offensive in the Palestinian territory.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment, but said it was looking into reports of the strikes, which came as Hamas officials said internal deliberations on the latest Israeli truce offer were nearly complete.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said two Israeli missiles hit several tents in the Al-Mawasi area of the southern city of Khan Yunis, resulting in at least 16 deaths, "most of them women and children, and 23 others were wounded".
Survivors described a large explosion at the densely packed encampment that set multiple tents ablaze.
"We were sitting peacefully in the tent, under God's protection, when we suddenly saw something red glowing -- and then the tent exploded, and the surrounding tents caught fire," Israa Abu al-Rus told AFP.
An estimated 500,000 Palestinians have been displaced since the end of the Gaza ceasefire, when Israel resumed military operations in the narrow coastal territory, the United Nations said Wednesday.
"Our humanitarian partners estimate that since March 18, about half a million people have been newly displaced or uprooted once more," said Stephanie Tremblay, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said yesterday that Israel had failed to respect January's ceasefire agreement in Gaza, as he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Meanwhile, Hamas yesterday accused Israel of attempting to starve the population of Gaza following Israel's renewed declaration the previous day that no humanitarian aid would be allowed into the Palestinian territory.
"This is a public admission of committing a war crime, including the use of starvation as a weapon and the denial of basic necessities such as food, medicine, water, and fuel to innocent civilians for the seventh consecutive week," the Palestinian group said in a statement.
Two Hamas officials told AFP yesterday that the group's discussions on an Israeli truce proposal were nearly complete, with a response expected soon.
"These talks are almost complete, and the group will send its response to the mediators once they finish. It's expected the talks will wrap up soon -- possibly even today," an official said, with another member of the group confirming his account.
