Capitol Riot - capitol-riot.comAt least three children among the dead from airstrikes at five locations around Gaza, agency says, as tens of thousands of Palestinians flee Gaza City
Israeli airstrikes and gunfire killed 23 people in Gaza on Sunday, the territory’s civil defence agency said, as tens of thousands of Palestinian people were fleeing eastern parts of Gaza City after Israel warned of a major assault on the north.
Agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal said at least three children were among those killed in airstrikes at five locations around Gaza and another person died from Israeli fire near an aid distribution centre.
Mahmud Bassal said two children were killed in an airstrike on their home in Gaza City’s Zeitun neighbourhood early on Sunday and “the house was completely destroyed”. A member of the family, Abdel Rahman Azzam, 45, told AFP he was at home and “heard a huge explosion at my relative’s house”. “I rushed out in panic and saw the house destroyed and on fire.”
Bassal said a drone strike on a tent housing displaced people near the southern city of Khan Younis killed five people including a child. Other casualties included a young man killed “by Israeli fire this morning while waiting for aid” near a humanitarian distribution centre in the southern city of Rafah, the Gaza civil defence spokesperson said.
Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Sunday his country’s “victory” over Iran in their 12-day war had created “opportunities”, including for freeing hostages held in Gaza. The main group representing hostages’ families welcomed “the fact that after 20 months, the return of the hostages has finally been designated as the top priority by the prime minister”.
Donald Trump reiterated calls for a swift end to Israel’s war on Gaza. “Make the deal in Gaza, get the hostages back,” the US president posted on his Truth Social platform.
Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, are continuing but without clear sign of a breakthrough.