Deir al-Balah, July 22: Israeli strikes have killed at least 20 people in Gaza, as Israel continues with a new incursion in an area that has been spared heavy fighting during the 21-month war. The expansion of Israel’s ground invasion comes as Israel and Hamas are considering terms for a ceasefire for Gaza that would pause the fighting and free at least some hostages. The latest round of talks has dragged on for weeks with no signs of breakthrough, though negotiators have expressed optimism. With Israel expanding its control over large chunks of Gaza, an expected pullback of troops is a major point of contention in the talks.
The Trump administration has been pushing Israel to wrap up the war and has shown signs of impatience. On Monday, President Donald Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was “caught off guard” by a recent Israeli strike on a Catholic church in Gaza. Top Christian clergy visited that church last week and called for the war to end.
One strike hit tents sheltering displaced people in the built-up, seaside Shati refugee camp on the western side of Gaza City, killing at least 12 people. The Israeli military said it was not aware of such a strike by its forces. The dead included three women and three children, Dr Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of the hospital told The Associated Press. Thirty-eight other Palestinians were wounded. An overnight strike that hit crowds of Palestinians waiting for aid trucks in Gaza City killed eight, hospitals said. At least 118 were wounded, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Church leaders have called on the international community to help bring an end to the war in Gaza after making a rare visit to the conflict-ridden territory last week. (AP)
