Gaza strikes kill two, damage medical depots as ceasefire deal awaits Israel
Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip on Saturday killed two people and caused significant damage to medical supply warehouses, according to Gaza's civil defence agency and medical sources. The attacks came amid heightened uncertainty over a proposed ceasefire deal that Hamas says it has accepted but Israel has not yet formally endorsed.
The Israeli military said it had struck five Hamas weapons depots in the territory. It also acknowledged strikes in two specific locations where casualties were reported, saying they targeted a Hamas terrorist and a military operative.
The strikes follow a statement by Hamas on Friday that it had agreed to a deal to end the war, which includes provisions for handing over its weapons and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. Israel has not officially commented on the agreement, but a political source told AFP that there would be no withdrawal whatsoever without Hamas's genuine disarmament.
In Gaza City, Al-Shifa Hospital reported receiving one body and several injured people following an Israeli drone strike in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood. When contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was aware of one strike in the area on a Hamas terrorist.
In Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, Al-Aqsa Hospital reported receiving one body and several injured following a separate Israeli drone strike. The Israeli military said it had struck a Hamas military operative in that incident. It later said it had also struck a weapons storage facility located adjacent to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which it said had been used as a hideout by Hamas terrorists.
Throughout its war with Hamas, Israel has accused the militant group of using civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, to conceal fighters and weapons and to stage operations. Hamas has denied such claims.
Gaza's civil defence agency reported extensive damage to a storage facility for medicines and medical supplies belonging to Al-Aqsa Hospital. The Palestinian health ministry condemned what it called the heinous crime committed by Israeli occupation forces, saying the strike had obliterated two of the four warehouses and caused severe damage to the remaining two. It added that the adjacent outpatient clinic building was also significantly damaged, and vital quantities of medical consumables and supplies intended for the care of patients and the wounded were lost or destroyed.
Restrictions imposed on media outlets and limited access in Gaza prevent AFP from independently verifying the tolls or freely covering the violence there.
Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim told AFP on Saturday that the ball is currently in the Israeli occupation's court and called on mediators to pressure Israel to halt violations and breaches of the ceasefire.
