An Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City school sheltering displaced persons killed at least 15 Palestinians on Saturday. Earlier, two strikes in the occupied West Bank killed nine fighters, including a local Hamas commander, according to Hamas.
The Israeli military claimed the school was used as a Hamas command center. Diplomatic efforts are underway to prevent further regional escalation, with Israel, the U.S., and other international partners seeking to defuse the situation.
In the West Bank, the Israeli military reported targeting a militant cell near Tulkarm, killing a Hamas commander and Islamic Jihad fighters. A second strike in the area targeted fighters firing on troops during a counterterrorism operation.
Violence has surged in the West Bank, exacerbated by frequent Israeli raids and increased Palestinian street attacks. The latest strikes have heightened fears of a wider Middle East conflict involving Iran and Hezbollah.
In Gaza, the Israeli military’s strike on the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood school killed 15 people. Earlier strikes in Rafah and Gaza City killed eight more. The Gaza health ministry reported over 39,550 Palestinian deaths since the conflict began, triggered by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
An Israeli delegation visited Cairo on Saturday to resume ceasefire negotiations, but chances of a breakthrough are low. The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut have further escalated tensions.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and European leaders are calling for a ceasefire and hostages’ release in Gaza, stressing the need to prevent the conflict from spreading. Egypt and Italy have urged Iran to exercise restraint to ensure regional stability.
