Israel kills 14 as mediators strive for a truce

CAIRO/GAZA: Israeli air strikes killed at least 14 Palestinians in three separate attacks in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, taking the weekend death toll to 102, Palestinian medics said, as US and Arab mediators stepped up efforts to conclude a ceasefire deal. Health officials said an Israeli air strike killed five people in a house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, while another air strike killed four others in Jabalia in the northern edge of the enclave, where Israeli forces have been operating for three months. Later on Sunday, an Israeli air strike hit a police station in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, killing five people, medics said. It wasn't immediately clear if all the dead were policemen. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on Sunday's strikes. Earlier on Sunday, the health ministry of Gaza said Israeli strikes across the territory had killed at least 88 Palestinians and wounded more than 200 others in the past 24 hours. In Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, relatives and neighbours rushed to the Zuhd family's house, which was struck by an Israeli air strike late on Saturday, killing seven people, medics said. The search continued on Sunday morning for four others believed to be trapped under the rubble. A hand belonging to one of the dead could be seen amongst the ruins, with the rest of his body buried under collapsed masonry. Three men removed dirt with their bare hands to retrieve bodies and search for possible survivors. "Three young men, the son’s wife, and three children are still here. We retrieved this cousin of mine. Another cousin has been martyred and is now in the hospital. Approximately 11 people have been martyred here," Ammar Zuhd, a relative, said. A renewed push is under way to reach a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, and return Israeli captives who were taken to Gaza, before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. Israeli negotiators were dispatched on Friday to resume talks in Doha brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, while US President Joe Biden's administration, which is helping to mediate, urged Hamas to agree to a deal. Hamas said it was committed to reaching an agreement as soon as possible, but it was unclear how close the two sides were. Israel launched its assault on Gaza in response to an October 7, 2023 attack. Israel's military campaign has levelled swathes of the enclave, driving most people from their homes, and has killed 45,805 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry. — Reuters