Middle East latest: More than 90% of ceasefire issues agreed, US says; huge crater left in Gaza camp after deadly strike

Israeli strikes have killed and injured multiple Palestinians at a camp for displaced people in Gaza, according to officials in the enclave. The Israeli military says three senior Hamas fighters were the targets of the attacks.

Tuesday 10 September 2024 18:55, UK

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Gaza's health ministry has said at least 19 people are confirmed to have been killed in an Israeli strike in a designated humanitarian zone known as al Mawasi, near Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

It said the toll may rise as more bodies are recovered.

The IDF said the strike targeted three senior Hamas fighters who it claimed were directly involved in the 7 October attacks on Israel.

Elsewhere, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said more than 90% of the issues regarding an Israel-Hamas ceasefire have been agreed.

Speaking at a press conference in central London alongside UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Mr Blinken said ceasefire talks are "down to a handful of issues" which he said are "hard but fully resolvable in our judgement".

An agreed phased-deal would potentially see the release of hostages held since the 7 October attacks on southern Israel, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage.

The IDF has also expressed its "deepest regrest" after it said a Turkish-American activist who was killed in the occupied West Bank last week is likely to have been shot "indirectly and unintentionally" by Israeli forces who were aiming at someone else.

An inquiry into the death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi concluded that the 26-year-old died at what it referred to as a riot in which "Palestinian suspects burned tires and hurled rocks toward security forces at the Beita Junction".

Ms Eygi was then caught in the cross fire as forces aimed at the "key instigator" of the demonstration.

International court prosecutor seeking to confirm death of Hamas leader

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) are looking into the reported death of Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, according to legal filings.

Deif, 58, is believed to be behind the 7 October attack on southern Israel which triggered the Gaza war. He had since directed Hamas military operations against Israeli forces.

Israel claimed he was killed in an airstrike on Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis on 13 July, but Hamas has never confirmed or denied that.

The ICC in The Hague has now said it will drop an arrest warrant against Deif if "sufficient and reliable information confirms his death".

He was wanted for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the October attacks.

Last week the same court announced it has terminated proceedings against Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran on 31 July.

Conditions ripe for six-week pause in fighting, Israeli minister says

Israel's defence minister has said the conditions are ripe for at least a six-week pause in fighting that would include the release of many of the hostages held in Gaza.

Speaking to reporters, Yoav Gallant said he would not commit to a permanent end to the fighting, as Hamas has demanded, raising questions about the feasibility of a deal.

"Israel should achieve an agreement that will bring about a pause for six weeks and bring back hostages," he said.

After that period, he said, "we maintain the right to operate and achieve our goals - including the destruction of Hamas".

The US, along with mediators Egypt and Qatar, has been working for months to broker a ceasefire to end the war between Israel and Hamas.

A main area of disagreement has been Hamas's demand for an end to the war and a full withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Gaza.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has raised a new sticking point in recent weeks, saying that Israel must remain stationed in the strategic Philadelphi corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt indefinitely.

Watch: Aftermath of Israeli strike

We have been reporting today that an Israeli strike killed at least 19 people in a designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The IDF said they targeted three senior Hamas fighters, but the militant group has since denied any of its fighters were at the site.

Below is a clip of the aftermath of the deadly strike.

Turkish-American activist 'unintentionally' shot by Israeli forces

The IDF has said a Turkish-American activist who was killed in the occupied West Bank last week is likely to have been shot "indirectly and unintentionally" by Israeli forces who were aiming at someone else.

An inquiry into the death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi concluded that the 26-year-old died at what it referred to as a riot in which "Palestinian suspects burned tires and hurled rocks toward security forces at the Beita Junction".

Ms Eygi was then caught in the cross fire as forces aimed at the "key instigator" of the demonstration.

The IDF said it expresses its "deepest regret" over the volunteer activist's death.

A post-mortem has been requested by the Israeli military and an investigation by the military police criminal investigation division launched.

'Fundamental changes' needed

When asked about the incident during a news conference in London, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said the Israeli military "need to make some fundamental changes in the way that they operate in the West Bank".

"In our judgment, Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way that they operate in the West Bank, including changes to their rules of engagement."

Ms Eygi's death came amid a surge of violence in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began.

The territory has endured an increase in Israeli raids, attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis, attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and heavier military crackdowns on Palestinian protests.

More than 690 Palestinians have been killed since October, according to Palestinian health officials.

More than 90% of ceasefire issues agreed, Blinken says

More than 90% of the issues regarding an Israel-Hamas ceasefire have been agreed, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said.

Speaking at a press conference in central London alongside UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Mr Blinken said ceasefire talks are "down to a handful of issues" which he said are "hard but fully resolvable in our judgement".

The US has been working with Egyptian and Qatari counterparts for the past several weeks to try and finalise a deal that both Hamas and Israel will agree to.

An agreed phased-deal would potentially see the release of hostages held since the 7 October attacks on southern Israel, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage.

Mr Blinken said the three countries will continue to work together to "bridge any remaining gaps" and "very soon" will put the proposed deal "before the parties [Israel and Hamas] and shall see what they say".

Echoing Mr Blinken, Mr Lammy said the UK and US are "completely aligned" in the need to "secure that ceasefire" and the need to "get the region onto a path to peace".

This would have a "two-state solution at its heart", Mr Lammy said.

"Clearly we have to see a reformed and renewed Palestinian Authority. There can be no role for Hamas going forward," the foreign secretary said.

Number killed in Israeli camp strike revised as health ministry releases figures

Gaza's health ministry has said at least 19 people are confirmed to have been killed in an Israeli strike in a designated humanitarian zone known as al Mawasi, near Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

It said the toll may rise as more bodies are recovered.

Earlier, the Gaza civil emergency service - first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government - reported that at least 40 people were killed.

It said entire families had been wiped out as they huddled in tents.

The IDF strongly disputed the initial figure, saying "numbers published by the Hamas-run government do not align with the information held by the IDF, the precise munitions used, and the accuracy of the strike".

Although the Gaza health ministry is also part of the Hamas-run government, its figures are widely seen as generally reliable. Its records and detailed tallies from previous wars have largely coincided with figures from independent researchers, the United Nations and even the Israeli military.

Neither the health ministry nor civil emergency service responded to a request for comment from the Association Press on the discrepancy of their tolls.

The IDF said the strike targeted three senior Hamas fighters who it claimed were directly involved in the 7 October attacks on Israel.

The military did not confirm if any of the targets were killed in the strike but said "extensive intelligence gathering" and "continuous aerial surveillance" confirmed they were all in the area.

However, Hamas has denied any of its fighters were present, the Reuters news agency reported.

Images from the tent camp shows three large craters at the scene, reported to be as deep as 9m (30ft).