Israeli strikes kill 9 people in Gaza, mediators strive for a truce deal

CAIRO/GAZA - Israeli air strikes killed at least nine Palestinians in two separate attacks in the Gaza Strip on Jan 5, taking the weekend death toll to 97, Palestinian medics said, as US and Arab mediators stepped up efforts to conclude a ceasefire deal.

Health officials said an Israeli air strike killed five people in a house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, while another air strike killed four others in Jabalia in the northern edge of the enclave, where Israeli forces have been operating for three months.

There was no immediate Israeli comment on the two incidents.

Earlier on Jan 5, the health ministry of Hamas-run Gaza said Israeli strikes across the territory had killed at least 88 Palestinians and wounded more than 200 others in the past 24 hours.

In Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, relatives and neighbours rushed to the Zuhd family’s house, which was struck by an Israeli air strike late on Jan 4, killing seven people, medics said. The search continued on the morning of Jan 5 for four others believed to be trapped under the rubble.

A hand belonging to one of the dead could be seen among the ruins, with the rest of his body buried under collapsed masonry. Three men removed dirt with their bare hands to retrieve bodies and search for possible survivors.

“Three young men, the son’s wife, and three children are still here. We retrieved this cousin of mine. Another cousin has been martyred and is now in the hospital. Approximately 11 people have been martyred here,” Mr Ammar Zuhd, a relative, told Reuters.

Israel says dozens of Hamas militants killed

The Israeli military said in a statement on Jan 5 that its forces had attacked more than 100 targets across Gaza over the weekend, killing dozens of Hamas militants. It said it had also destroyed rocket launching sites that had been used to wage rocket attacks on Israel in recent days.

A renewed push is under way to reach a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, and return Israeli hostages who were taken to Gaza, before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan 20.

Israeli negotiators were dispatched on Jan 3 to resume talks in Doha brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, while US President Joe Biden’s administration, which is helping to mediate, urged Hamas to agree to a deal.

Hamas said it was committed to reaching an agreement as soon as possible, but it was unclear how close the two sides were.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza in response to an Oct 7, 2023 attack by Hamas militants on communities in southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s military campaign, with the stated goal of eradicating Hamas, has levelled swathes of the enclave, driving most people from their homes, and has killed 45,805 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry. REUTERS