DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 21 individuals, including two children, according to reports from local hospitals. This escalation comes as renewed ceasefire negotiations are in progress in Qatar, amidst a conflict that has persisted for nearly 15 months.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Israel, calling for a ceasefire, shortly after Hamas released a video featuring a hostage still held in Gaza. Such videos, along with an increase in airstrikes, are perceived as tactics to exert pressure during ongoing talks.
In the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, a young boy was seen weeping over his father, while a woman was emotionally clinging to one of the deceased, whose body was wrapped in white plastic. Hospital personnel at Nasser Hospital reported that three airstrikes targeted a vehicle, a residence, and individuals on the street within the city.
The Civil Defense, an emergency response group associated with the Hamas-led administration, mentioned that an airstrike had devastated a residential neighborhood near the Saraya complex in Gaza City, claiming at least five lives. Furthermore, Israeli attacks on Saturday evening resulted in three fatalities in Bureij and another three in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, as reported by Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the victims’ bodies were taken. Among the deceased was a child, prompting a young man nearby to lean against a hospital wall and cry.
The Israeli military confirmed that they targeted Hamas militants with aerial strikes near Salah al-Din in southern Gaza and on a vehicle in Deir al-Balah. They also reported that Hamas fired a projectile towards the Erez crossing into Gaza. Reports from Gaza’s Health Ministry indicated that at least 59 individuals have died and over 270 more have suffered injuries from airstrikes in the past 24 hours alone.
Currently, there are no statements regarding the indirect ceasefire negotiations underway. These discussions have frequently stalled as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains firm on continuing military operations in Gaza until Hamas is neutralized. Meanwhile, Hamas fighters, seeking the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, are regrouping in areas vacated by Israeli troops.
Mediators for the talks include Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, which has proposed an $8 billion arms deal for Israel, according to U.S. officials.
The ongoing conflict marks the deadliest fighting between Israel and Hamas to date, which ignited on October 7, 2023, when Hamas and allied militants launched an attack on southern Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities, primarily among civilians, and the abduction of about 250 individuals. Currently, around 100 hostages remain in Gaza, with at least one-third believed to be deceased.
Families of those kidnapped have been advocating weekly for Netanyahu to negotiate a ceasefire that would facilitate the return of their loved ones, urging that time is of the essence. At a rally held in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, police intervened to remove some protesters who staged a sit-in on the street.
In a video released by Hamas leading up to the rally, Liri Albag, an Israeli soldier who remains a hostage, expressed distress about her situation, stating she has been held captive for 450 days and lamenting the onset of a new year that brings little cheer for her and her fellow captives. “Only we are entering a dark year, a year of loneliness,” she remarked. Additionally, she disclosed that another inmate had sustained injuries due to ongoing hostilities in Gaza, describing their experience as a “terrifying nightmare.”
Netanyahu’s office maintained that efforts are being made to bring the hostages home, with the Prime Minister communicating with Albag’s family, emphasizing ongoing actions. In a heartfelt plea, Albag’s family urged, “It’s time to make decisions as if your own children were there!”
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the death toll in Gaza due to the retaliatory offensive by Israel has exceeded 45,717, with women and children constituting over half of the casualties. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths in its reports, stating that there are numerous bodies still trapped under rubble or in inaccessible zones.
Israel’s military claims to focus its efforts solely on militants and holds Hamas accountable for civilian casualties, asserting that their operatives often shelter within heavily populated areas. The military has announced that they have eliminated approximately 17,000 militants, though they have not provided substantiating evidence for this figure.
The war has triggered immense devastation, displacing around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, with many displaced multiple times. As winter has approached, hundreds of thousands are now living in tents close to the coast, with reports of children succumbing to the frigid conditions.
The Gaza Health Ministry issued a statement declaring that the Indonesian Hospital has ceased operations following Israeli activities in the area, and reported that all public hospitals in the northern regions, largely cut off by an enduring Israeli assault, are no longer functional. Access to northern Gaza remains severely limited, making verification of claims exceedingly difficult.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, tensions remain high, as the Palestinian Health Ministry announced the death of an 18-year-old Palestinian during confrontations with Israeli forces in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus, with nine others reported wounded.
Since the onset of hostilities on October 7, 2023, Israeli operations throughout the West Bank have reportedly led to over 800 Palestinian fatalities, according to health officials. While Israel attributes the majority of these deaths to militants, several casualties have also included unarmed individuals caught in confrontations.
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has held for over a month, but it appears unlikely that the original agreement will be honored within the designated 60-day period. Israel and Hezbollah had engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire since the initiation of the conflict in Gaza.
