Israeli airstrike hits in central Gaza

By Wafaa Shurafa and Sam Metz The Associated Press

5 months ago

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip flee from part ... — Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip flee from parts of Khan Younis, following an evacuation order by the Israeli army to leave parts of the southern area of Gaza Strip’s second largest city, Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes hit a school used by displaced Palestinians in central Gaza on Saturday, killing at least 30 people.

Israel’s military said its strike targeted a Hamas command center used to direct attacks against Israeli troops and store “large quantities of weapons.” Hamas called the military’s claim false.

Officials from the U.S., Egypt, Qatar and Israel are scheduled to meet in Italy on Sunday to discuss cease-fire negotiations. CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to meet with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, Mossad director David Barnea and Egyptian spy chief Abbas Kamel, according to officials from the U.S. and Egypt who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the plans.

U.S. officials on Friday said Israel and Hamas agree on the basic framework of the three-phase deal. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his speech to the U.S. Congress vowed to press ahead with the war until “total victory.”

Israel’s military on Saturday ordered a new evacuation of part of a designated humanitarian zone in Gaza ahead of a planned strike on Khan Younis in the south. The order was in response to rocket fire that Israel said came from the area.

Officials from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said the evacuation orders had forced at least three health centers to stop providing care.

Israel estimates that about 1.8 million Palestinians shelter in the zone.

On Saturday night, Israelis again held an anti-government demonstration in Tel Aviv demanding a cease-fire deal and the return of hostages. “There’s a deal on the table and we need to make it happen, and we need to make it happen now,” said one protester, Tamir Guytsabary.