11 more Palestinians killed in Israeli genocide in Gaza

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 11 people in Gaza City on Saturday, Palestinian medical officials said, even as Israel signalled it was considering scaling back its military offensive after receiving Hamas' response to a U.S.-brokered peace proposal, reported Xinhua.

Doctors at Al-Shifa Hospital said rescue teams pulled six bodies from the rubble of two homes in Gaza's Al-Tuffah neighbourhood and another five from a house in Al-Shati refugee camp. Several others were wounded, some critically.

Residents said Israeli drones also struck a group of civilians on Al-Jalaa Street in central Gaza City, killing and wounding several, while further raids hit homes in Al-Tuffah. Witnesses reported heavy overflights of Israeli jets and drones and described the night as one of the most violent in weeks.

Palestinian medics said emergency crews were struggling to reach some strike sites because of continuing fire from Israeli forces deployed around western Gaza City.

The Israeli military said its forces remained encircling Gaza City and warned civilians against returning to areas north of Wadi Gaza, describing them as "a dangerous combat zone."

In a related incident, witnesses said Israeli troops opened fire on dozens of civilians trying to return north through the Netzarim corridor, despite earlier reports that some units had withdrawn.

The violence came as Hamas and other Palestinian factions announced they had submitted a collective response to the U.S. proposal. The groups said the reply reflected "in-depth national consultations" and aimed to end Palestinian suffering and halt "an ongoing war of extermination."

They urged the Palestinian Authority to convene an urgent national meeting to discuss implementation, including the creation of an independent Palestinian body to administer Gaza.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the U.S. initiative, reiterating that sovereignty over Gaza belongs to the State of Palestine. In a statement carried by the official news agency WAFA, Abbas said he was ready to work with Washington, the United Nations, and Arab partners to secure a full ceasefire, release hostages and prisoners, and begin reconstruction.

He stressed that Gaza must be linked administratively and politically with the West Bank under Palestinian institutions, backed by Arab and international support, and renewed calls for an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On Friday, Hamas said it had agreed in principle to release Israeli hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, and to hand Gaza's administration to a technocratic government under the U.S. plan, though it did not address Israel's demand for the group's disarmament.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who announced the plan earlier this week, said Hamas' response showed it was "ready for a lasting peace" and urged Israel to halt its bombardment "so we can quickly and safely extract the hostages."

Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has surpassed 67,000, Gaza's health authorities said on Saturday, reported Xinhua.

According to their statement, a total of 67,074 people have been killed and 169,430 wounded since the outbreak of the war. In a separate statement, the authorities reported that two children had died in the past 24 hours from starvation and malnutrition, bringing the total number of deaths linked to food shortages to 459, including 154 children.

Despite Israeli statements suggesting a reduction in military operations following U.S. President Donald Trump's call for a halt to the bombing and Hamas's agreement to release all hostages, the Israeli air force carried out a series of intensive airstrikes on Gaza City on Saturday morning.

Eyewitnesses said Israeli forces also opened fire on dozens of civilians attempting to travel from southern Gaza to the northern part of the Strip via the Netzarim corridor near Rashid Street.

In a statement Saturday, the Israeli army warned residents against returning to areas north of Wadi Gaza, calling it "still a dangerous combat zone," and urged civilians to use Rashid Street to move south.

A resident of the Shati neighborhood in Gaza City described the night as "one of the most violent in weeks, with explosions and shelling continuing until the early morning hours."

Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza on October 7, 2023, following an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel, which Israeli authorities said killed around 1,200 people and led to the capture of more than 250 hostages.