An airstrike carried out by Israeli forces on a residential building in central Gaza resulted in the deaths of at least seven Palestinians, including four children, and left 16 others injured, as per health officials’ reports. The strike took place on Friday afternoon and targeted an apartment in the Jaffa residential tower, located within the densely populated Nuseirat refugee camp. Casualties were rushed to Aqsa and Awda hospitals for treatment. The Israeli military had not issued an immediate statement regarding the airstrike. Israeli authorities assert that their military operations focus solely on militants, attributing civilian casualties to Hamas, which they claim operates from within residential neighborhoods.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to over 45,000 Palestinian deaths in the span of 14 months. The violence escalated following a Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals. There are indications that negotiators are working towards a ceasefire that would secure the release of remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza.
In another regional development, a U.S. diplomatic delegation was engaged in discussions in Damascus with Syria’s new government leaders. This marked the first U.S. diplomatic visit to Syria in more than a decade and comes shortly after the government of President Bashar Assad was overthrown by militant factions.
Syria’s diverse religious and ethnic communities are now grappling with fears about their rights and safety under the primary rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which has a history linked to al-Qaida.
In the latest updates from the United Nations, the Security Council has voted unanimously to extend the peacekeeping forces stationed on the Israel-Syria border. The resolution emphasizes the need for both nations to adhere to the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement that initiated the buffer zone and called for a cessation of military actions in the area. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his troops will maintain a presence in the buffer zone for the foreseeable future, a territory taken following the weakening of Assad’s government.
The resolution is co-sponsored by the United States and Russia, and it underlines concerns over potential escalations in tensions between Israel and Syria due to continued military activities, which may threaten the established ceasefire. Reports indicate that an Israeli soldier shot and injured a protester in the Syrian village of Maariyah during demonstrations against Israeli forces.
On the topic of U.S. involvement, the Biden administration has withdrawn a $10 million reward previously offered for the capture of Ahmad al-Sharaa, a Syrian rebel leader responsible for the recent overthrow of Assad. This shift followed a meeting in Damascus involving the United States’ top diplomat for the Middle East. Although al-Sharaa’s group remains classified as a foreign terrorist organization, U.S. officials expressed a willingness to reconsider sanctions based on future actions.
Efforts to find missing American journalist Austin Tice are ongoing as the U.S. special envoy for hostage negotiations visited Syria for discussions about his case. He indicated that while there is still no new information, the search will continue vigorously, focusing on several detention facilities where Tice might be held.
Reports indicate that since the onset of conflict, approximately 77 people died and another 174 injured in Gaza within 24 hours. The casualties included children from recent Israeli airstrikes targeting civilian shelters. Local health officials estimate that nearly half of the more than 45,000 fatalities since the conflict’s escalation are women and children.
Amid these tensions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an suggested that Turkey might intervene in northern Syria to address what he perceives as security threats from Kurdish groups. His comments came during a time of rising confrontations in the region involving Turkish-backed fighters and U.S.-allied Kurdish forces.
In related news from Syria, a U.S. diplomatic delegation had met with local leaders to seek information on hostages and engage with various community members. The delegation included high-profile diplomats, marking a significant diplomatic engagement following Assad’s recent ousting.
Furthermore, the U.N. migration agency raised alarms that sudden large-scale returns of Syrians could strain the country’s already fragile recovery from years of conflict. The agency emphasized that while individual cases of refugees wanting to return should be supported, the overall humanitarian situation in Syria must remain the focus of international aid initiatives.
Lastly, the Swedish government announced the cessation of core support for the UN agency that aids Palestinians, reallocating funds to alternative humanitarian organizations instead. This decision follows legislative changes in Israel aimed at limiting UNRWA’s operations, reflecting a broader concern about the humanitarian crisis in the region caused by ongoing hostilities and political shifts.
