Palestinian martyrs in an Israeli air strike on the homes of the Hijazi and Al-Hams families (Anatolia)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that the Israeli occupation forces committed 12 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip during the last 24 hours, leaving 107 martyrs and 165 wounded, at a time when the region is witnessing diplomatic movements to discuss a second truce proposal.

Since the start of the Israeli war on October 7, the Ministry of Health in Gaza said that the number of martyrs has risen to 27,238 martyrs, while the number of wounded has reached 66,452.

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that two Palestinians were martyred and three wounded by Israeli snipers in the Al-Nasr neighborhood in Gaza City, as clashes and violent bombing continued in neighborhoods west of the city.

In Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, 24 Palestinians were martyred and dozens injured in an Israeli air strike on the homes of the Hijazi and Al-Hams families.

Al Jazeera's correspondent also said that 4 Palestinians were martyred and dozens injured in an Israeli bombing on the home of the Abu Nusair family, in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, at dawn today. Funeral prayers were held for the martyrs at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

Meanwhile, 18 Palestinians were martyred and dozens injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted homes in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

The city of Rafah, where millions of Palestinians took refuge to escape the fighting between the Israeli army and the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip, witnessed intense Israeli strikes on Saturday, at a time when diplomatic efforts continue to reach a new truce in light of escalating tensions in the region.

Shortly after midnight, the French news agency reported that strong strikes were heard in this city adjacent to the Egyptian border in the far south of the Strip.

The Ministry of Health announced that at least 100 civilians were killed overnight, including 14 in the early hours of Saturday in strikes that targeted two residential buildings.

In recent weeks, Israeli operations have focused on the neighboring city of Khan Yunis, which is the second largest city in area in the Gaza Strip.

Truce movement

Efforts and calls have intensified recently to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, amid cautious optimism towards concluding a prisoner and detainee exchange deal between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel.

The head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, is expected to visit Egypt again in order to discuss a proposal prepared during a meeting in late January in Paris between CIA Director William Burns and Egyptian, Israeli and Qatari officials.

A source in the movement stated that the proposal includes 3 stages, and in the first stage it stipulates a truce lasting 6 weeks during which Israel will release between 200 and 300 Palestinian prisoners, in exchange for the release of 35 to 40 prisoners detained in Gaza, with the possibility of entering between 200. Up to 300 aid trucks daily to Gaza.

However, Israel stresses that it will not permanently stop its war on Gaza until it eliminates the Hamas movement, frees all the prisoners, and receives guarantees regarding security in its lands, as it says.

This truce proposal will be at the heart of a new visit by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to the region starting Sunday, which will include stops in Qatar, Egypt, Israel, the occupied West Bank, and Saudi Arabia.

Blinken said on Friday evening that he seeks during this tour to work on “a lasting peace in the region, including sustainable security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

This will be the fifth time that Blinken has visited the region since the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza.

In turn, French Foreign Minister Stephane Ségornet will begin - today, Saturday - a Middle Eastern tour that will continue until Tuesday, and will focus on the political prospects for the post-war period in Gaza.

This round, which will include Egypt, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Lebanon, would push forward toward a “ceasefire and the liberation of the hostages” and “open political horizons” based on the two-state solution, with an existing Palestinian state alongside Israel, according to what French Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe said. LeMoyne.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies