At least 20 killed in Gaza as Qatar voices hope for ceasefire

CAIRO - Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 20 Palestinians on Dec 7, local health officials said, as Qatar voiced hope of fresh momentum in efforts to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the reported strikes in Gaza City and Rafah.

At least eight of the fatalities were civilians, according to residents and medics. It was unclear whether the rest of those killed were fighters and Reuters could not independently verify the figures.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Qatar was engaging with the incoming Trump administration on Gaza after sensing fresh momentum for ceasefire talks following the US election.

Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy has travelled to Qatar and Israel to kick-start the

US President-elect’s diplomatic push for a ceasefire

and hostage release deal before his inauguration on Jan 20, a source briefed on the talks told Reuters on Dec 5.

The war in Gaza has been raging for over 14 months, with much of the enclave laid to waste and more than 44,000 Palestinians killed, according to the Gaza health authorities, as Israeli forces continue their drive to wipe out Hamas and rescue hostages taken by the militant group.

The

deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades

began when Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

In the occupied West Bank on Dec 7, a Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces at a checkpoint, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

Police said a security guard had shot him after he threw firecrackers at the forces there, and that a knife was found on him. REUTERS