On Saturday, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed at least 18 people from the same family, including Sami Jawad al-Ejlah, a local wholesaler. The strike targeted a house and an adjacent warehouse used as shelter by displaced individuals in Zawaida. The casualties included al-Ejlah's two wives, eleven children, the children's grandmother, and three other relatives.
The airstrike occurred just hours after mediators from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar had expressed optimism about reaching a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The mediators had concluded two days of talks, presenting a proposal to bridge gaps and plan for the implementation of a potential deal. The aim of these efforts is to secure the release of Israeli hostages and halt the fighting that has devastated Gaza, where the death toll has surpassed 40,000 and concerns of a polio outbreak are growing.
According to the Israeli military, which has been attacking "terrorist infrastructure," the strike was intended to destroy areas from which rockets had been fired toward Israel. With continued worries about regional tensions and the possibility of a bigger battle including Iran and Hezbollah, the military's actions in Gaza are part of a larger campaign against extremists.
