Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
US and Arab mediators have made some progress in their efforts to reach a ceasefire accord between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but not enough to seal a deal, Palestinian sources close to the talks said on Thursday.
As talks continued in Qatar, the Israeli military carried out strikes across the enclave, killing at least 17 people on Thursday, Palestinian medics said, reports Reuters.
The deaths brought to 70 the number of people killed by Israeli strikes across Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, according to the territory's health ministry.
Qatar, the US and Egypt are making a major push to reach a deal to halt fighting in the 15-month conflict and free remaining hostages held by Islamist group Hamas before President Joe Biden leaves office.
President-elect Donald Trump has warned there will be "hell to pay", if the hostages are not released by his inauguration on January 20.
On Thursday, a Palestinian official close to the mediation effort said the absence of a deal so far did not mean the talks were going nowhere and this was the most serious attempt so far.
"There are extensive negotiations, mediators and negotiators are talking about every word and every detail. There is a breakthrough when it comes to narrowing old existing gaps but there is no deal yet," he told Reuters, without giving further details.
On Tuesday, Israel said it was fully committed to reaching an accord to return hostages but faces obstruction from Hamas.
The two sides have been at an impasse for a year over two key issues. Hamas has said it will only free its remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war and withdraw all its troops from Gaza. Israel says it will not end the war until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are free.
SEVERE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
On Thursday, the death toll from Israel's military strikes included eight Palestinians killed in a house in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps, where Israeli forces have operated for more than three months. Nine others, including a father and his three children, died in two airstrikes on two houses in central Gaza Strip, health officials said.
Later, dozens of people arrived at the hospital in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip to mourn their dead relatives, and take their bodies, wrapped in white shrouds, to graves.
"There is no safety in the country, at all, not for a child, a woman, an old person, not for stones or trees, animals or birds or anything. Everyone is targeted, without prior warning," said resident Adel Al-Mansi.
There was no Israeli military comment on the two incidents.
