CAIRO/GAZA – At least 17 Palestinians, including eight children and four women, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday in the central Gaza town of Zawayda, according to local health officials. The strike also left dozens wounded, as Israel issued new evacuation orders in response to nearby Hamas rocket fire.
Israel also named two soldiers who died on Saturday when a roadside bomb exploded in central Gaza. Additionally, an Israeli airstrike in the occupied West Bank reportedly killed two senior Hamas militants involved in the killing of an Israeli.
This surge in violence comes ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s expected visit to Israel, where he plans to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. The visit is part of intensified diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas and secure the release of Israeli hostages.
Eyewitnesses in Zawayda reported that most of those killed were from a single family, with the attack occurring while they were asleep. “They were in their beds, kids and babies, when three missiles hit their home,” said Abu Ahmed Hassan, a neighbor. He added that the family was not involved in any military activity.
The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted militants in an area used for launching rockets. They noted that the incident is under investigation.
Evacuation orders were issued in parts of central Gaza, including Maghazi, with instructions posted in Arabic on social media. Thousands of residents were seen fleeing the area. The United Nations reported that recent evacuation orders have affected around 170,000 displaced people, reducing the designated “humanitarian area” to about 11% of the Gaza Strip.
In other developments, Israeli tanks advanced further into eastern Deir al-Balah on Saturday, an area where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are seeking shelter.
Ceasefire negotiations are set to resume next week in Doha, mediated by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt. Israeli officials expressed “cautious optimism” regarding a potential deal, while Hamas accused Israel of adding conditions to hinder progress.
The conflict, which began on October 7 with a Hamas attack on Israel, has led to significant casualties on both sides. Over 40,000 Palestinians and 330 Israeli soldiers have died since the conflict began, according to local sources.