Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Saturday claimed the lives of at least 46 Palestinians, including civilians seeking aid and three humanitarian workers, according to Palestinian health officials and local reports. The strikes came as a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for renewed ceasefire discussions with Egyptian officials.
The escalation highlights the ongoing devastation in Gaza, where relentless bombardments have resulted in over 44,000 deaths and extensive destruction. The Israeli military confirmed it had carried out a vehicle strike in Khan Younis, claiming it targeted a "terrorist" inside an unmarked civilian vehicle. However, eyewitnesses told Middle East Eye that the vehicle belonged to World Central Kitchen, an international NGO delivering food supplies.
Eyewitness Tamer Sammour said, "The vehicle carried rice and other food supplies. I retrieved World Central Kitchen equipment from the scene, including a list of those scheduled to receive the aid." A subsequent strike killed two bystanders attempting to assist the victims.
In a separate attack in the Qizan al-Najjar area of Khan Younis, at least nine people were killed when a vehicle near a gathering of civilians receiving flour aid was struck. Additional strikes in Gaza City and northern Gaza brought the day's death toll to alarming heights, with nearly 70% of victims reported as children and women, according to UN estimates.
The Gaza Civil Defense reported the death of one of its officers in Jabalia, raising the number of civil defense workers killed since the conflict began to 88. Despite global condemnation of the rising civilian toll, the Israeli military has continued its campaign, which it says aims to dismantle Hamas's operational capacity in Gaza.
Meanwhile, former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, in an interview with Democrat TV, described the military's actions in northern Gaza as "clearing the area of Arabs." He added, "There is no Beit Lahia, there is no Beit Hanoun," accusing Israeli forces of engaging in ethnic cleansing. Rights groups have echoed these accusations, citing mass killings and blocked humanitarian aid as evidence of efforts to permanently displace Palestinians.
The renewed ceasefire discussions in Cairo come amid international pressure for a resolution. Egyptian officials are mediating talks involving Hamas, Fatah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad representatives. However, significant challenges remain, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisting that the war will continue until Hamas is eradicated. Hamas, on the other hand, has reiterated its demand for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a prisoner exchange.
