Israel-Hamas war
1. Blinken to arrive in Israel as US pushes for Gaza ceasefire
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Sunday as part of Washington's intensified diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, aimed at ending the ongoing 10-month conflict between Israel and Hamas.
This marks Blinken's tenth visit to the region since the war began in October of last year. His trip comes shortly after the U.S., along with mediators Qatar and Egypt, proposed solutions that they believe could help bridge the remaining gaps between the conflicting sides.
At least 17 Palestinians were killed, and dozens more were wounded in an Israeli strike in the central Gaza town of Zawayda on Saturday, according to health officials. The strike occurred as Israel issued new evacuation orders in response to Hamas rocket fire in the area.
Israel also announced the deaths of two soldiers, reportedly killed on Saturday afternoon by a roadside bomb in the central Gaza Strip. Additionally, an airstrike in the occupied West Bank targeted and killed two senior Hamas fighters allegedly involved in the killing of an Israeli.
Most of the casualties in Zawayda were from the same family, including eight children and four women, according to health officials in the Hamas-administered enclave.
"They were asleep in their beds—kids and babies—when three missiles struck their home," said Abu Ahmed Hassan, a neighbor. He described the owner of the house as a well-known merchant and emphasized, "There are no military activities here at all."
