Israeli military strikes across the Palestinian Gaza Strip have killed at least 61 people in the past 48 hours, according to local medics on Saturday, as Israeli forces continued their battles against Hamas-led militants in the territory.
Eleven months into the conflict, diplomatic efforts have repeatedly failed to secure a ceasefire or facilitate the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held in Gaza, along with Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
An Israeli airstrike on the Halima al-Sa’diyya school compound, a shelter for displaced people in the Jabalia refugee camp, killed at least eight people and wounded 15, according to medics. The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted a Hamas command center inside the compound, accusing the group of exploiting civilians and infrastructure for military purposes—a claim Hamas denies.
Five more people were killed in an airstrike on a house in Gaza City, and a later strike at Amr Ibn Ala’as school in the Sheikh Radwan suburb killed four and wounded 25, Palestinian medics reported. The military stated the target was another Hamas command center.
Palestinian health officials reported that Israeli strikes killed 28 people across Gaza on Saturday alone. Meanwhile, the armed wings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah fought Israeli troops using rockets, mortars, and bombs in central Gaza City and southern regions.
Both sides blamed each other for the failure of mediators—including Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S.—to broker a ceasefire. Despite ongoing negotiations, the gap between the parties remains significant, with the U.S. preparing to present a more detailed proposal.
Despite the conflict, the U.N., in cooperation with local health authorities, continues a campaign to vaccinate 640,000 children in Gaza following the first polio case in 25 years. Limited pauses in fighting have allowed over half of the children in the southern and central areas to receive vaccines, with efforts moving to northern Gaza on Sunday.
The current violence began on October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent response has resulted in over 40,900 Palestinian deaths, nearly complete displacement of the 2.3 million population, and genocide allegations at the World Court, which Israel denies.
Source: Reuters
