Israeli drones in Rafa kill three Palestinians amid escalating violence and vulnerable ceasefire talks in Cairo.
Israel’s attack on Gaza killed three Palestinians and injured several at Rafa’s southern governor, as Hamas and Egyptian officials met in Cairo for consultations on the future of a volatile ceasefire.
On Saturday morning, an Israeli drone targeted a group of people east of Rafa, killing two Palestinians. A colleague on the ground reported that one was also killed in an Israeli fire at Tannour, east of Rafa.
Since Friday night, Rafa has been the target of violent Israeli attacks from tanks and drones, affecting artillery fires from Alginina, Ashshoka and Tar As Sultan.
At least 48,453 Palestinians have been killed and 111,860 injured in Israeli attacks, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
At the same time, the head of the government media office at Enclave reported on Saturday that 12,316 women had been killed during the war, marking International Women’s Day.
“Women’s Day coincides with the continued siege of Israel and the prevention of aid as women live in devastating humanitarian conditions and suffer from starvation and thirst,” Salama Maarov said.
Government data shows that at least 2,000 women and girls have been permanently disabled due to the disconnection.
Cerez-fire meeting
Amid the ongoing attack, Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo, Egypt’s capital, on Friday to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza.
The two senior Hamas members are part of a high-level delegation expected to talk to Egyptian officials about the next phase of the ceasefire on Saturday, according to AFP news agency.
Report from Gaza city, Khoudary behind Al Jazeera said the Palestinians were waiting for news about the deal.
“We know that the first phase of the ceasefire will end on March 1st, and Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire for a week. Today, that ceasefire will end,” Khoudary reported. “The Palestinians are very uneasy and emphasize that the second phase of the ceasefire has not yet been implemented. People here are waiting for news from these negotiations and feel this ceasefire is fragile.”
As Palestinians await news of the ceasefire, Israel’s humanitarian blockade puts great pressure on those already struggling.
“This lockdown is suffocating the Palestinians. They say they didn’t imagine a ceasefire and Ramadan coming, and they won’t be able to cook their favorite dishes,” Khoudary explained, adding that the community’s kitchens are now out of stock.
At the end of February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said humanitarian aid would no longer enter Gaza.
Meanwhile, more than 50 released Israeli prisoners urged Netanyahu to fully implement the Gaza ceasefire and secure the release of those still held in Gaza.
“Once we have experienced Inferno, we know that returning to war is life-threatening for those still left behind,” the 56 former prisoners of war said in a letter posted to Instagram. “One operation will fully implement the contract.”
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