Meanwhile, Israel continues to kill Palestinians in Gaza for no apparent reason. According to a report in Middle East Eye, the IDF on Friday shelled a school being used as a shelter, where displaced Palestinian families had gathered for a wedding, killing at least six people, including a five-month-old baby. Witnesses reported that an Israeli tank had advanced into the area and approached the school before firing. They also said Israeli forces blocked ambulance and civil defence teams from reaching the site for more than two hours, delaying the evacuation of victims.
The strike was the latest in hundreds of Israeli ceasefire violations since the deal took effect on 10 October. Gaza’s health ministry said on Thursday that at least 395 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since then.
The incident occurred ahead of a meeting in Florida between Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with mediators from Egypt and Qatar on moving to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. The second phase is expected to bring even greater challenges, including the deployment of an international stabilisation force, the establishment of a technocratic government in Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, and Israeli withdrawal from the territory, MEE reported. “Our people expect these talks to result in an agreement to put an end to ongoing Israeli lawlessness, halt all violations and compel the occupation to abide by the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement,” Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim told AFP.