At least 26 people have been killed in Israeli military strikes on the Palestinian Gaza Strip, medical workers said on Thursday (November 28). Doctors said Israel had stepped up its bombardment of central Gaza, with tanks moving deeper into the north and south of the city.
The Reuters news agency reported on Friday (November 29). The report said the incident came a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah began, and a similar deal was expected in Gaza.
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon came into effect on Wednesday, ending nearly 14 months of conflict. In response, Gaza's ruling party Hamas also signaled it wanted a ceasefire. However, Israel did not comment.
Amal Abu Hamid, a displaced person from Gaza, said, “I hope there will be a ceasefire like in Lebanon. I just want to take my children to see my land, my house, to see what they have done to us, I want to be safe.”
“Allah willing, we will have a ceasefire,” he said, sitting in the courtyard of a school that is sheltering displaced families in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. “Life was beautiful before the war. Now there is nothing beautiful, it is all over. Our homes are gone, our brothers are gone, there is no one left. Now we get very little. We don’t even get bread for one meal.”
Announcing the Lebanon deal on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden said he would now press for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. He said the US would create another push with regional powers for a ceasefire in Gaza, including the release of hostages and the removal of Hamas from power.
However, overall, there has been little progress in efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. The talks are now stalled. Mediating countries have also lost some interest.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. Since that day, Israel has launched a massive attack on Gaza. According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than 44,000 people have been killed and many more injured in Gaza since then.