Israeli forces bombarded a Gaza refugee camp on Friday, following a deadly strike on a UN-run school, as the war sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel entered its ninth month. Efforts to mediate the first ceasefire since a week-long pause in November have stalled, despite a new roadmap offered by US President Joe Biden. Hamas has not yet responded to Biden’s proposal, while Israel has expressed openness to discussions but remains committed to dismantling the Palestinian Islamist group.
In a renewed diplomatic effort, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel and key regional partners Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar from Monday, marking his eighth Middle East trip since the conflict began, the State Department announced. On Friday, as Gaza faced Israeli attacks from land, sea, and air, witnesses reported that the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza was hit again, a day after the Israeli strike on the UN-run school. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in nearby Deir al-Balah reported at least 37 fatalities from Thursday’s airstrike, which the Israeli military claimed targeted “terrorists” hiding in three classrooms.
Friday saw another Israeli strike on a school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the Al-Shati refugee camp. The Israeli military stated it targeted Hamas militants operating from a container on the school’s grounds. An AFP photographer saw Palestinians inspecting the remains of the charred container, with the media office reporting three deaths.
UNRWA stated that hundreds of displaced Gazans were sheltering at the Nuseirat school hit on Thursday, which was “hit without prior warning.” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini expressed frustration on X, stating that despite UN premises being “damaged, destroyed, targeted or used for military purposes almost on a daily basis… no one is being held accountable.” Israel accuses Hamas of using civilian infrastructure, including UN-run facilities, for military operations—an accusation Hamas denies.
In a separate incident, an Israeli strike late Thursday killed Nuseirat mayor Iyad al-Mughari and four family members as he visited a water pumping station. The army claimed he was a Hamas operative. Witnesses and the Israeli military also reported strikes and fighting east of Deir al-Balah and near the Bureij camp. A central Gaza hospital source reported six fatalities from a strike on the Wafati home in Maghazi camp. Warships bombarded areas west of Gaza City, and the military released footage of troops in Rafah.
Osama al-Kahlut of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that Israeli forces east of Deir al-Balah were firing on people along Gaza’s main thoroughfare, resulting in “several wounded.”
The conflict, ignited by Hamas’s October 7 attack that killed 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures, has seen a retaliatory Israeli military offensive resulting in over 36,731 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israel faces growing diplomatic isolation, with international court cases accusing it of war crimes and several European countries recognizing a Palestinian state.
Israel’s UN envoy, Gilad Erdan, expressed disgust that the Israeli military will be listed in an upcoming United Nations report on countries and armed forces that fail to protect children during war. A diplomatic source indicated that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad would also be included in the report, highlighting human rights violations against children in conflict zones.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, set to address the US Congress next month, faces pressure within his government. War cabinet member Benny Gantz has scheduled a news conference for Saturday, the deadline he gave Netanyahu to approve a post-war plan for Gaza. Israeli media suggests Gantz, a centrist former military chief, might announce his resignation.
A week ago, Biden proposed a plan for a six-week cessation of hostilities, involving hostage exchanges and increased aid delivery to Gaza. The proposal has garnered support from G7 powers and Arab states, but Hamas has not yet responded. Key issues include Hamas’s demands for a permanent truce and full Israeli withdrawal, which Israel rejects. Blinken’s visit aims to emphasize the importance of Hamas accepting the proposal, which the State Department asserts would benefit both Israelis and Palestinians.
The conflict has devastated much of Gaza, displacing most of its 2.4 million residents and putting them at risk of starvation. The UN’s labor agency reported a massive loss of jobs and livelihoods, with nearly 80 percent of Gazans now unemployed. Despite slowed aid shipments, the US military announced the successful reestablishment of a temporary pier to boost humanitarian deliveries.
Pope Francis, marking the 10th anniversary of an Israeli-Palestinian meeting at the Vatican, condemned “the hatred” sown by the conflict and called for a lasting peace where Israel and Palestine can coexist. “All of us must work and commit ourselves to achieving a lasting peace,” he urged.
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