JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Sunday, as Israel intensified its attacks against northern Gaza, flattening another high-rise building and killing at least 12 Palestinians.
On Friday, Rubio and Trump met with Qatar’s prime minister to discuss the fallout from the Israeli operation.
On Sunday, at least 13 Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded in multiple Israeli strikes across Gaza, according to local hospitals.
The family was from the northern town of Beit Hanoun, and arrived in Deir al-Balah last week after fleeing their shelter in Gaza City The Israeli military did not have immediate comment on the strikes.
“This part of the genocidal measures the (Israeli) occupation is carrying out in Gaza City,” said Abed Ismail, a Gaza City resident.
AP JERUSALEM — U. S. . As Israel stepped up its attacks on northern Gaza, destroying another high-rise structure and killing at least 12 Palestinians, Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Sunday.
With Israel’s attack on Hamas operatives in Qatar last week upending efforts to mediate a settlement, Rubio stated prior to the trip that he would be asking Israeli officials for their thoughts on the future of Gaza.
As the United Nations convenes what is anticipated to be a heated discussion on commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state, his two-day visit also serves as a demonstration of support for the increasingly isolated Israel. The recognition of a Palestinian state is vehemently opposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Though President Donald Trump was upset with Netanyahu for the Israeli strike against Hamas leaders in Doha, which he claimed the United States was not informed of in advance, Rubio’s visit still took place.
The prime minister of Qatar met with Rubio and Trump on Friday to talk about the consequences of the Israeli operation. The Trump administration is attempting to maintain a balance between relations with important Middle Eastern allies in spite of the attack’s widespread international condemnation, as evidenced by the two, consecutive meetings with Israel and Qatar.
Attempts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages in advance of the upcoming U.S. No. General Assembly session, where the war in Gaza is anticipated to be the main topic of discussion.
Multiple Israeli strikes across Gaza on Sunday killed at least 13 Palestinians and injured dozens more, local hospitals reported.
According to local hospitals, at least six members of the same family were killed by Israeli strikes that targeted a tent in the city of Deir al-Balah, a car close to Shifa Hospital, and a roundabout in Gaza City.
In that strike, the Al-Aqsa hospital reported that two parents, their three children, and the children’s aunt were killed. The family, who were from Beit Hanoun in the north, fled their shelter in Gaza City and made their way to Deir al-Balah last week.
The strikes elicited no immediate response from the Israeli military.
The Israeli military demolished a high-rise residential building in Gaza City on Sunday morning as part of its enlarging operation, less than an hour after military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted an evacuation order online.
In the Rimal neighborhood, locals reported that the Kauther tower had been completely demolished. No casualty reports were made right away.
Residents of Gaza City, including Abed Ismail, said, “This is part of the genocidal measures the (Israeli) occupation is carrying out in Gaza City.”. Their goal is to destroy the entire city, compel the transfer, and hold another Nakba. “.
Israel vehemently disputes claims of genocide in Gaza.
Separately, the Gaza Strip’s health ministry said Sunday that two Palestinian adults had perished in the past 24 hours in the region from malnutrition and starvation-related causes.
This brings the total number of deaths from malnutrition-related causes to 277 since the ministry began keeping track of deaths in this age group in late June. Since the war began in October 2023, an additional 145 children have perished from malnutrition-related causes, the ministry said.
In October, militants led by Hamas invaded southern Israel, sparking the start of the Gaza War. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and kidnapping 251 others. Of the 48 hostages still in Gaza, 20 are thought to be alive by Israel.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,803 Palestinians, though it does not specify the number of combatants or civilians killed. According to reports, women and children made up about half of the fatalities. Approximately 90% of the 2 million Palestinians have been displaced, and parts of major cities have been totally destroyed.
