Continued Clashes in Gaza; Palestinian Sources: At Least 61 Killed in Israeli Attacks Over the Past 48 Hours

Reuters reports that the ongoing war between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip has resulted in at least 61 deaths in the past 48 hours, according to local doctors. As the war enters its eleventh month, diplomatic efforts have yet to achieve a ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Hamas, or the freedom of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Local doctors in Gaza reported that an Israeli airstrike on a school used as a shelter for refugees from the Jabalia camp left at least eight dead and 15 injured. The Israeli army claims that the strike targeted a Hamas command center located within the school premises. Israel accuses the Palestinian group of exploiting civilians and civilian infrastructure for military purposes, a claim that Hamas denies. Additionally, five more people were killed in an Israeli attack on a residential home in Gaza City. According to Palestinian doctors, an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced families in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood resulted in four deaths and 25 injuries. The Israeli army stated that the location was previously a school but was being used by Hamas as a command center. Palestinian health officials reported at least 28 deaths in various areas of the Gaza Strip due to Israeli attacks on Saturday. Meanwhile, armed branches of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah claim to have targeted Israeli forces in central and southern Gaza, inflicting damage and casualties. Israel and Hamas blame each other for the failure of negotiations mediated by Egypt, the U.S., and Qatar. The U.S. intends to present a new proposal to the conflicting parties, but given the deep divisions, the outlook for negotiations remains bleak. William Burns, the CIA director and chief U.S. negotiator, stated at a political event in London that a more comprehensive proposal from the U.S. to end the war in Gaza will be presented soon. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that both Israel and Hamas, which governed Gaza before the war and is responsible for the killing of Jews in the October 7 attack on Israel, must make concessions to reach an agreement. Despite the stalemate in negotiations, the United Nations, in cooperation with local health officials, continues its campaign to vaccinate 640,000 children in Gaza, initiated after the first case of polio in about 25 years was observed in the region. According to the UN, the campaign is progressing successfully, with over half of the children vaccinated in the first two phases in southern and central Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Minister, during a meeting with his German counterpart, stated that Khamenei wants to send weapons to the West Bank like in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority claims that Israeli forces have withdrawn from Jenin. Blinken noted that 90% of the issues for establishing a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages have been agreed upon. The Israeli Air Force attacked a Hezbollah weapons depot in southern Lebanon. The ongoing clashes in Gaza, the West Bank, and the Lebanon border continue; Israel warns that Hamas will pay a heavy price for killing hostages. Shin Bet reported that 1,307 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel last month. The UN reported that 187,000 children in Gaza received polio vaccines.