- Israeli strike kills seven Palestinians
- Airstrike damages buildings, vehicles
- Ceasefire negotiations progress
Israeli forces have killed at least seven Palestinians, including a minor, in Rafah, the largest city in the southern Gaza Strip, in their latest deadly assault on the beleaguered Palestinian populace.
On Saturday, an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building housing the Shahin family, along with Abu Hamra and Abu Sultan family displaced persons, according to the Palestinian state news agency Wafa.
The airstrike in Rafah, which hit a busy road leading to a market, severely damaged vehicles and buildings. Scattered remains were seen along the road, including those of women, children, and the elderly.
“My father… my mother… They fled in terror from Khan Younis. I brought them to my home for refuge… They escaped death in Khan Younis only to die by my side… What should I do to live up to their legacy?
He said to the Israeli forces, “Kill me so I can join them.”
He was on his way to al-Awda Hospital with friends when “a massive explosion” occurred.
“I was thrown into the air and saw everyone around me in chaos, with some being torn apart,” he said. “When I woke from unconsciousness, I found myself in this hospital.” A missile was fired by Israeli warplanes at a residential block in a densely populated area, with hundreds on the street trying to get food.
“The occupying Israeli forces show no mercy; they have no regard for babies, women, or the elderly,” he continued. “The Israeli government disregards all human rights and laws.” They lost all humanity when they retaliated by targeting and killing defenseless displaced civilians, including women and children.
“The missile hit within twenty meters (66 feet) of me, and by God’s grace, I miraculously survived.”
Hani Mahmoud of Al Jazeera, reporting from Rafah, said the victims have been taken to Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah.
“The area shook as if hit by an earthquake; everything was engulfed in flames and total destruction,” he said.
“Four cars were consumed by flames, and pedestrians suffered serious injuries.” Additionally, victims were pulled from beneath the rubble of the building.
“Five of the seven reported fatalities have been positively identified.” Two were unrecognizable due to being completely burned.
Escalating Crisis in Gaza Strip
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reports that in the past twenty-four hours, Israeli forces have carried out eight “massacres against families,” resulting in 92 deaths.
Furthermore, Israeli forces have blocked ambulances and civil defense teams from reaching victims buried under rubble or lying on the roads, according to the ministry.
Since Hamas’ cross-border attack on October 7, Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip, killing over 29,600 Palestinians, causing widespread destruction, and shortages of essential supplies. Injuries have surpassed nearly 70,000 in the besieged enclave.
Approximately 1,200 Israelis have been killed as a result of the Hamas attack.
The United Nations reports that severe food insecurity has reached catastrophic levels across the Gaza Strip, with the northern part of the strip facing an increasing risk of starvation-related deaths and a growing number of reports of families struggling to feed their children.
The World Food Programme reports that “the risk of famine in Gaza is increasing daily, especially for an estimated 300,000 people in northern Gaza who have been largely cut off from aid and where food security assessments indicate the greatest needs.”
“There is progress in the talks.”
As the Palestinian death toll in Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza rises daily, efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement have continued.
The national security adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli war cabinet is set to meet on Saturday to receive a briefing from negotiators who met in Paris with representatives of the United States, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar regarding a potential ceasefire.
Progress in Ceasefire Negotiations
The cabinet meeting, according to Tzachi Hanegbi of Channel 12 in Israel, “shows that they [the negotiators] did not return empty-handed.”
During the Paris meeting, a revised draft for a captive deal reportedly reached agreement earlier on Saturday.
Sources told Axios that the revised agreement calls for Hamas to release about forty detainees held in Gaza in exchange for a six-week ceasefire and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Participants included Abbas Kamel, the director of Egyptian intelligence, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Also included were CIA director Bill Burns and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
The Israeli delegation included the director of intelligence for Mossad, Shin Bet, and the Israeli Forces. He will brief the war cabinet later on Saturday or Sunday.
Following the cabinet’s approval of the new proposal, further meetings will be scheduled in the days ahead.
According to Axios, Biden administration officials want to negotiate an agreement before Ramadan begins on March 10.
Further negotiations, including determining the quantity and nationality of the detainees to be released, depend on Qatari and Egyptian negotiators successfully persuading Hamas to accept the revised proposal, according to a source cited by Israeli media.
A foreign diplomat told the Israeli publication Haaretz, “all parties are showing flexibility.” He added, “The talks are progressing to reach an agreement before [the holy month of] Ramadan.”
“Any further progress is up to Hamas,” he said.
