Israel steps up Gaza attacks amid renewed ceasefire push

An Israeli attack on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza has resulted in at least eight deaths. Concurrently, Israel has dispatched several high-ranking officials to negotiate a potential ceasefire agreement. According to the Palestinian Civil Defense, the attack on the Zainab al-Wazir school in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza on Saturday killed eight civilians, including two women and two children.

A mother, while searching through the rubble, told Al Jazeera, "The Israelis attacked us without any prior warning. They hit us with missiles. I don't know where my children are; I don't know if they are injured or dead." Al Jazeera’s journalist, Moath Kahloot, described the scene at al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, where dozens of injured people were being treated, as "bloody" and "horrific." He noted that medical supplies were severely lacking amidst Israel's ongoing blockade of northern Gaza for over 80 days.

Later on Saturday, the Palestinian official news agency, WAFA, reported attacks across Gaza, including one on a house in the Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City that killed four Palestinians and injured several others. Additionally, Israeli warplanes bombed a tent sheltering displaced families in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, resulting in three fatalities. There were also reports of casualties from attacks near the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza and in the southern town of Khan Younis.

Amidst the escalating attacks, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are renewing efforts to reach a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and release the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Steve Witkoff, the president-elect Donald Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, who had visited Qatar earlier in the week. According to Reuters, citing Egyptian security sources, Witkoff assured Egyptian and Qatari mediators that the US would continue to work towards a fair agreement to end the war as soon as possible.

Following the meeting, Netanyahu sent a high-level delegation, including the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, to Qatar to "advance" the negotiations. Al Jazeera’s journalist in Amman, Jordan, Hamda Salhut, stated, "There are a lot of variables here." She added, "Donald Trump has said that if there is no ceasefire before he takes office, he will be very actively working to try to get one... but you have to remember there are sticking points on both sides." The Israelis have said they will not end the war, while Hamas has said they want to see a full ceasefire, an end to the war, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. The Israeli public is also continuously demonstrating against Netanyahu's government, believing he is neither capable nor willing to reach an agreement fifteen months into the war.

Families of Israeli hostages have welcomed Netanyahu's decision to send officials, with the "Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters" calling it a "historic opportunity." As mediators prepare for more ceasefire talks, Al Jazeera's journalist, Hind Khoudary, reported that Palestinians in Gaza, who are suffering from attacks, are also dealing with severe food shortages, as Israel continues to ignore UN calls to lift restrictions on the entry of supplies into the Gaza Strip. Reporting from Deir al-Balah, Khoudary said, "We see children every day with empty pots looking for community kitchens, and talking to families who say they are barely able to feed their children one meal a day." She added, "It's not just the ongoing airstrikes; malnutrition is also killing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip."

Vibeke Krarup, head of Amnesty International Denmark, stated that Israel is committing "genocide." Speaking at the European Palestine Network conference in Copenhagen, she said, "When we say Israel is committing genocide, this is not an opinion; it is a conclusion based on law, based on thorough analysis." She also said, "It is becoming more and more impossible to survive in the Gaza Strip…our role as people is to stop the genocide." According to the Palestinian health authorities, at least 46,537 people have been killed in Israel's war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.