Israeli air forces renewed their airstrikes on Gaza in the early hours of Saturday, while Hamas militants responded by launching rockets at Israel as the conflict entered its fifth night. U.S. and Arab diplomats are working to end the violence. Palestinian paramedics reported at least four deaths from multiple airstrikes in northern Gaza. Residents noted that Israeli naval boats fired shells from the Mediterranean, though none hit the Territory. The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs stated that the Israeli air force destroyed a mosque, while a military spokesperson said the army was verifying this report.
Sirens sounded in two major cities in southern Israel, warning of incoming fire from Gaza. Hamas claimed responsibility for the rocket launches. With no signs of de-escalation, casualties extended to broader areas, with Palestinians reporting 11 deaths in the occupied West Bank amidst clashes between protesters and Israeli security forces. Palestinian medical officials reported that at least 132 people have died in Gaza since Monday, including 32 children and 20 women, with 950 others injured.
Hamas stated that a woman and a boy were among the four people killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit the Abu Hatab family home in the Beach refugee camp in Gaza City. The Israeli army has not yet commented on the strike. Israeli authorities reported that eight were killed in Israel, including a soldier patrolling the Gaza border and six Israeli civilians, two of whom were children.
U.S. administration envoy Hady Amr, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israel and Palestinian Affairs, arrived in the region on Friday ahead of a UN Security Council session scheduled for Sunday to discuss the situation. The U.S. embassy in Israel noted that the goal of his visit is "to reinforce the need for action to achieve a sustainable calm."
Israel conducted attacks throughout Friday to destroy what it described as multiple kilometers of tunnel systems in Gaza, along with rocket launch sites and weapons manufacturing workshops in an attempt to halt rocket attacks against it. The border fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza coincided with violence in mixed Jewish-Arab communities in Israel. Synagogues were attacked and street clashes erupted, prompting the Israeli president to warn of civil war.
### Diplomatic Efforts
Egypt is leading international efforts to reach a ceasefire amid fears of escalating conflict. Two Egyptian security officials stated that Egypt is urging both sides to cease hostilities starting from midnight Friday, pending further negotiations, while Cairo is also pressing Hamas and other parties, including the U.S., in an attempt to reach an agreement with Israel.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated that the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan discussed efforts to end the confrontation in Gaza on Friday and prevent "provocations" in Jerusalem. A Palestinian official noted, "The talks took a serious turn on Friday... mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations are intensifying their communications with all parties in an attempt to restore calm, but no agreement has been reached yet."
The United Arab Emirates called for a ceasefire and negotiations on Friday, expressing condolences for all victims of the conflict. The Emirates News Agency reported Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressing grave concern over the escalating violence in Israel and Palestine, urging all parties to take immediate steps to halt the fighting and initiate political dialogue. He said, “We rely on the promises that the Abraham Accords hold for our current and future generations to live with their neighbors in peace, dignity, and prosperity,” referring to the accords that made the UAE and Bahrain the first Arab states in a quarter-century to establish formal relations with Israel.
The statement added, "The United Arab Emirates joins others in calling for an immediate end to violence and hostilities." The unrest between Jews and Arabs in Israel has significantly impacted the efforts of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opponents to oust him after a series of inconclusive elections, raising expectations that Israelis will head to the polls for an unprecedented fifth time in just over two years.
