Israel kills 11 in central Gaza refugee camps with death toll touching 40,000

Ahram Online, AFP, Sunday 21 Jul 2024

At least 11 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday targeting residential buildings in Bureij and Nuseirat refugee camps in central Gaza, WAFA news agency reported.

gaza
Mourners carry the bodies of members of the Qadih family to a burial ground in Khuzaa in the southern Gaza Strip, following an overnight Israeli strike hit their house in Bani Suheila, on July 21, 2024. AFP

 

Israeli occupation forces have killed two civilians, including a young girl, in bombing a house belonging to the Gharab family in Nuseirat.

Additionally, an air raid struck a multi-story residential building in the same area, injuring at least five people.

Earlier, Israeli warplanes bombed a house belonging to the Khalifa family in the Bureij camp, killing seven civilians and injuring others.

The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since 7 October 7 has so far resulted in at least 38,983 Palestinian fatalities, mostly women and children, and 89,727  injuries, according to the Palestinian health ministry's recent figures.

According to the ministry, the toll includes 64 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Mounting pressure
 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Joe Biden in Washington on Tuesday, his office said Sunday in a statement.

The statement added that the Israeli leader will fly to the United States on Monday.

The two were initially expected to meet on Monday, but Biden has COVID-19, which may be a reason for the delay.

Efforts are being made to approve the Israeli response to the potential truce deal in Gaza as early as Sunday, the Kan public broadcaster reported ahead of Netanyahu's visit to Washington.

Netanyahu is set to meet the Israeli negotiating team in the coming hours before flying to the United States.

Last night, anti-government protesters gathered in cities across Israel calling on Netanyahu not to depart for Washington until he first signs a deal with Hamas to facilitate the return of captives from Gaza.

Netanyahu is to deliver a speech to the US Congress this week as he defies intense pressure to cut a Gaza war ceasefire deal with Hamas.

Biden and some Israeli ministers say a deal negotiated through Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediators is possible. A plan outlined in May proposed a six-week ceasefire, according to which some Israeli captives would be swapped for Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said negotiators were "inside the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line."

However, Hamas has accused Netanyahu of seeking to block the deal, and Blinken said he wants to "bring the agreement over the finish line" when Netanyahu is in Washington.

While US Republicans pressed to invite Netanyahu to address Congress, he has lost support among Democrats.

One Jewish senator, Democrat Brian Schatz of Hawaii, announced he would boycott Wednesday's speech, saying he would not listen to "political rhetoric that will do nothing to bring peace in the region."

After being invited to Congress again, Netanyahu said he would "present the truth about our just war against those who seek to destroy us."

Much attention will be focused on whether Netanyahu will meet with Donald Trump or a figure close to him.

 

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