Israeli airstrike kills at least 18 as negotiators push for cease-fire in Gaza

An Israeli airstrike killed at least 18 people in the central Gaza Strip Saturday as negotiators continue to push for a cease-fire in the ongoing war in the region between Israel and militant group Hamas.

The strike hit a house and a warehouse nearby where people were sheltering, The Associated Press (AP) reported, citing the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. The deadly blow came just hours after U.S., Qatar, Israel, Egypt and Hamas negotiators wrapped up two-day cease-fire discussions with mediators proposing to seal the deal by the end of next week. 

President Biden said Friday that the two sides are at the closest point yet of reaching a deal but cautioned that more work needs to be done. 

“I don’t want to jinx anything … we’re not there yet,” Biden said from the Oval Office. “But we’re much, much closer than we were three days ago.” 

The Saturday strike comes just days after the local health ministry in Gaza said over 40,000 Palestinians have died in the Israel-Hamas war in the 10 months since the conflict began. The tally does not distinguish between militants and civilians. The ministry operates under the government led by Hamas. 

During the cease-fire talks in Doha, the U.S. added a “final bridging proposal,” which a senior administration official said was a text offering implementation details and clarification to the existing framework that was presented to both sides in late May.

The cease-fire proposal would bring a six-week stoppage of fighting alongside the release of Palestinian prisoners and hostages still held by Hamas.

The halt in fighting would likely allow a greater flow of humanitarian aid into the war-torn enclave as well and make it possible for Palestinians to return to their homes as the Israeli military would pull back from some areas. 

The war kicked off when Hamas and their militants crossed into Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages to Gaza. Over 100 people were released during the last temporary pause in fighting.