Israeli Airstrike Kills at Least 32 in Gaza; Cease-fire Talks Remain Stalled
At dawn on Sunday, an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Jabalia, a northern district in Gaza, killed and injured dozens, Palestinian medics reported. Local sources, including the Palestinian news agency WAFA and Hamas-affiliated media, stated that 32 people were killed in the attack. Footage circulating on social media showed bodies wrapped in blankets at a nearby hospital, though Reuters could not independently verify the video. Residents reported that the building had housed at least 30 civilians.
The Civil Emergency Service, hampered by ongoing Israeli operations in northern Gaza, could not provide an official death toll. Israeli forces said they had launched operations in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun to prevent groups in the area from coordinating further attacks. Israel claims hundreds of enemy fighters have been killed since the latest offensive began on October 5.
In a separate strike on Sunday in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood, an Israeli airstrike killed Wael Al-Khour, an official at Gaza’s Welfare Ministry, along with his wife, children, and four other family members, according to local medics and relatives.
The Israeli military has stated it is investigating the circumstances surrounding these strikes in both Jabalia and Sabra. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to reach a cease-fire remain at a standstill. Hamas continues to seek an agreement that includes a prisoner exchange, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will press on until Hamas is dismantled.
