Gaza City: Over the past 48 hours, Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip have resulted in at least 61 deaths, according to Palestinian medical sources. The strikes targeted various sites, including two former schools in Gaza City and Jabalia that were housing displaced individuals, killing at least 12. The Israeli military stated these strikes were aimed at Hamas gunmen.
The conflict, ongoing for 11 months, has yet to see a ceasefire or resolution for the Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas. The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have all made attempts to mediate without success. CIA Director William Burns revealed that a new proposal from the US is forthcoming, but optimism for resolution remains low.
In Israel, mass protests erupted as tens of thousands of demonstrators demanded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secure a deal for the release of 101 hostages. The protests were sparked by the execution of six hostages by Hamas, whose deaths were confirmed by Israeli authorities.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged both sides to make concessions. Hamas remains committed to a proposal backed by the US but accuses Netanyahu of imposing new conditions, which he denies.
The conflict began with a Hamas attack on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of around 250 hostages. In response, Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed over 40,900 Palestinians and displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million. The Palestinian health ministry’s casualty figures are not broken down by combatant or civilian status.
Amidst the conflict, the UN has launched a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, targeting 640,000 children following the detection of the region’s first polio case in 25 years. Despite the ongoing fighting, the campaign has reached more than half of the children in the southern and central Gaza Strip, with plans to expand to northern Gaza soon.
