Israeli strike kills 15 in Central Gaza, including 8 children

At least 15 people, including eight children and two women in an Israeli strike near a medicine distribution point in Central Gaza's Deir-al-Balah town. The Israeli military had reportedly said that they were looking into the incident.

Strike in Deir al-Balah town

Quoting officials of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, the BBC reported that there was a long queue of people at the spot who had gathered to collect nutritional supplements when the strike took place in the Deir-al-Balah town. The report further stated that video footage from the spot showed the bodies of children and those wounded being treated by medics.

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26 killed in earlier strike

Earlier on Thursday (July 10), 26 other people were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes in other places in Gaza. The incidents took place at a time when the delegations from Israel and Hamas were holding indirect talks in Doha.

The strikes come a day after an Israeli official told journalists in Washington that a ceasefire deal with Hamas could be reached within two weeks.

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Ceasefire in two weeks?

The official, who was in Washington during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US, also said that in case a 60-day ceasefire deal is reached with Hamas, Israel would utilise the time to come up with a solution to permanently end the war, albeit Hamas agrees to disarm.

He also said that if Hamas refuses to disarm, then Israel would continue its military operations in Gaza.

The report further stated that earlier, Hamas had alleged that the talks with Israel had been “difficult” due to the “intransigence” on the part of Israel. The group further stated that it had been flexible during the negotiations by agreeing to release 10 hostages, but categorically stated that it seeks a comprehensive agreement that would end the Israeli attack.

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The backdrop

The Israeli strikes in Gaza after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Southern Israel, leaving 1,200 dead and 251 others taken hostage.

Responding to the attack, Israel started an intense military campaign in Gaza that has left at least 57,680 dead in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

The military operation by Israel has displaced the majority of the population in Gaza, with 90 per cent of homes reportedly destroyed. The healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene systems are barely functional, and the shortage of food and medicine is increasing by the day.