After more than a year of fighting in the dense territory, almost the entire Palestinian population has already been displaced.
Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip killed at least 17 people overnight, doctors in the territory said on Sunday (22), a day after Hamas suggested a ceasefire agreement in the war, which has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians , is “closer than ever”.
According to Gaza health authorities, eight people, including children, were killed at the Musa Bin Nusayr School, which housed families in Gaza City. After more than a year of fighting in the dense territory, almost the entire Palestinian population has already fled to escape bombings at least once.
In a statement, the Israeli army said the attack targeted Hamas fighters operating from inside the school.
The Palestinian agency also reported the deaths of four people after a drone attack hit a civilian vehicle in Gaza City and three others, still unidentified, victims of a bombing in the east of Rafah, in the south of the territory. There were also attacks on Khan Yunis.
International condemnation
The destruction in Gaza prompted Pope Francis to once again condemn Israel’s military campaign on Sunday, a day after Tel Aviv accused the pontiff of applying a “double standard” for previous criticism.
“It is with pain that I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty, of children machine-gunned, of the bombings of schools and hospitals. How cruel,” said Francis at the end of the Sunday Angelus prayer.
In addition to carrying out the attacks, the Israeli Army asked that the Kamal Adwan Hospital, in the city of Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza, be evacuated, according to the director of the health center, Hussam Abu Safiya. He described the order as “almost impossible” due to a lack of ambulances to transfer the injured in the devastated region.
Accusations of genocide and “ethnic cleansing”
Israel, which faces a charge of genocide at the International Court of Justice, better known as the Hague Court, resumed operations in the northern Gaza Strip in October. Its operations in the region raise suspicions of acts of “ethnic cleansing” to create a buffer zone, according to Palestinians and even a former Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon.
Tel Aviv denies the accusations and says the campaign in the area was aimed at combating Hamas fighters and preventing them from regrouping.
Negotiations for a ceasefire
Meanwhile, mediators have yet to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Sources close to the discussions told the Reuters news agency on Thursday (19) that Qatar and Egypt managed to resolve some differences between the belligerent parties, but points of disagreement remained.
According to the Egyptian newspaper Al Ghad, Tel Aviv wants to include 11 people in the first wave of hostages released in a possible truce, but the terrorist group demands more compensation in return.
Context of the conflict
The Jewish State began its attack on Gaza after fighters led by Hamas attacked communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.
Israel says about 100 hostages are still in custody, but it is unclear how many are alive.
Authorities in Gaza, meanwhile, say Tel Aviv has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians and displaced the majority of its population of 2.3 million. Much of the territory is in ruins.
