Star Metro - Gaza civil defence says Israeli strikes kill 43 as truce talks deadlocked

Delegations from Israel and the Palestinian militant group have now spent a week trying to agree on a temporary truce to halt 21 months of devastating fighting in the Gaza Strip.

But on Saturday, each side accused the other of blocking attempts to secure an agreement at the indirect talks in the Qatari capital, Doha.

On the ground, civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said at least 43 people were killed in the latest Israeli strikes, including 11 when a market in Gaza City was hit.

Elsewhere, eight children were among the 10 victims of a drone strike at a water point in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza, Bassal said.

Israel's military blamed a technical problem for that strike, saying it had been targeting a member of Hamas ally Islamic Jihad.

"As a result of a technical error with the munition, the munition fell dozens of meters from the target," a statement read. "The incident is under review."

Reports of casualties were being examined, it added.

Khaled Rayyan told AFP he was woken by the sound of two large explosions after a house was hit in Nuseirat.

"Our neighbour and his children were under the rubble," he said.

Another resident, Mahmud al-Shami, called on the negotiators to secure an end to the war.

"What happened to us has never happened in the entire history of humanity," he said. "Enough."

- 150 targets in 24 hours -

The Israeli military, which has recently intensified operations across Gaza, said in a statement that in the past 24 hours the air force "struck more than 150 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip".

Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties.

The war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which led to 1,219 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Of the 251 people taken hostage by militants that day, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry says that at least 58,026 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign. The UN considers those figures reliable.

UN agencies on Saturday warned that fuel shortages had reached "critical levels", threatening to worsen conditions for Gaza's more than two million people.

On Sunday, the Handala -- a former Norwegian trawler loaded with medical supplies, food and children's equipment -- set off from Sicily.

The pro-Palestinian activists on board hope to reach Gaza, despite Israel having recently detained and deported people aboard a previous vessel, the Madleen, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

- Forced displacement fears -

Talks to seal a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release were in the balance on Saturday after Israel and Hamas accused each other of trying to block a deal.

Hamas wants the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, but a Palestinian source with knowledge of the talks said Israel had presented plans to maintain troops in more than 40 percent of the territory.

The source said Israel wanted to force hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into the south of Gaza "in preparation for forcibly displacing them to Egypt or other countries".

A senior Israeli official said Israel had demonstrated an openness "to flexibility in the negotiations, while Hamas remains intransigent, clinging to positions that prevent the mediators from advancing an agreement".

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is prepared to enter talks for a more lasting end to hostilities once a temporary truce is agreed, but only if Hamas disarms.

Thousands of people gathered in Israel's coastal hub of Tel Aviv on Saturday to call for the release of the hostages.

"The window of opportunity... is open now and it won't be for long," said former captive Eli Sharabi.

A.Rogen--SMC