Residents sifted through the rubble of the Al-Shaer family home in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Sunday after an Israeli airstrike targeted the building and surrounding area overnight.
“Every day there are strikes,” said displaced Palestinian Umm Sakr Labad. “There’s no safety at all in Rafah.”
Aref Al-Shaer, who lost his house in the airstrike, expressed concern that the world mistakenly believes Rafah is safe. “They announced a ceasefire in the Security Council at the U.N., and nothing happened,” he said.
As Hamas leaders continued truce talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators for a second day on Sunday, no progress was apparent. The Islamist group insists any agreement must end the war in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials.
While talks proceeded, residents and health officials reported that Israeli planes and tanks continued to attack various areas across Gaza overnight, resulting in several casualties.
The conflict began after Hamas launched a surprise cross-border raid on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking 252 hostages, per Israeli reports.
Intensified negotiations for a potential Gaza truce, which might involve the return of some hostages to Israel, began on Saturday, a Hamas official told Reuters, with the CIA director in attendance in Cairo.
