CNN
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As Palestinians observed on the first day of Aid al-Fitr, Israeli airstrikes and home housing in South Gaza killed 10 people on Sunday, including children, rescuers said.
Israeli forces are bolstering new campaigns in Gaza, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that Hamas’ efforts to pressure them to release more hostages are “at work” and that he has pledged to free Donald Trump’s highly controversial scheme from the territory.
Twenty people have been injured in the strike in the Almawasi region, Khan Unis civil defense director Yamen Abu Suleiman warned CNN that deaths are likely to rise.
A local hospital has confirmed the deaths so far, saying that five children were killed.
Videos from the aftermath of the strike show some of the child victims wearing new Eid clothes. In Middle Eastern tradition, children wear new clothes to celebrate the three-day holiday.
The footage shows a man dragging his child into the hospital and says, “What was it that these children were at fault? They didn’t do anything.”
CNN approached the Israeli Defense Forces for comments.
Palestinians on the Gaza Strip are observing Eid this year in the face of aid supply and death tolls in strip garb.
“Every year, I’m used to baking Eid cookies for my kids,” Amene Shakra, a displaced woman, told CNN. “But I was able to prepare a kilogram because of the current situation and how expensive everything has become. I will not maintain my grief for the war, in order to bring joy to them.”
Street vendor Abdel Fattah Khalil Karnawi spoke about the rising prices of clothing. “We came to the market to get Eid clothes for our kids. Unfortunately, the situation is tough and the prices are very high.”
Israel resumed its attacks in Gaza almost two weeks ago, crushing a two-month ceasefire. It imposed a complete blockade of humanitarian assistance entering the enclave and warned that it would remain permanent in parts of Gaza until the release of the remaining 24 hostages that its forces are believed to be still alive. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in enclaves since.
Almawasi, a coastal region west of Rafa, has repeatedly attacked Israeli attacks, despite being previously designated as a “humanitarian region” by Israel. Thousands of Palestinians fled to Almawasi and lived in makeshift tents made of cloth and nylon for months, with little access to humanitarian relief.
In comments made on Sunday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to step up the military election, saying that pressure on Hamas was “at work.”
“It works to work at the same time. On the one hand, it crushes Hamas’ military and government capabilities, and on the other hand, it creates the conditions for hostage release. This is exactly what we’re doing.”
Israel refused to negotiate, adding that there was a “crack” in Hamas after the attacks were updated, and said Israel would implement the “Trump Plan – Voluntary Immigration Plan.”
Sunday’s strike was agreed to a new Egyptian proposal to release five hostages, including US and Israeli Edan Alexander, in exchange for a new ceasefire, Hamas sources told CNN.
The proposal is similar to that presented by the US special envoy group Steve Witkoff a few weeks ago, but it is not clear whether it also includes the release of additional hostages for the deceased.
In exchange for the release of five hostages, Hamas is hoping for a return to phase 1 ceasefire conditions, including humanitarian entry into Gaza, and an agreement from Israel to negotiate the second phase of the ceasefire, sources said.
According to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Israel responded to Egypt’s offer with a counter-proposed proposal.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted a series of consultations following the proposals he received from the mediator yesterday. Recently, Israel has cooperated fully with the US to transfer the opposite proposal to the mediator,” the office said.
Netanyahu faces competing demands at home from his right-wing coalition who wants to increase pressure on the remaining hostages Hamas and his family, who fear more military action will put loved ones at risk.
This story has been updated.
