A number of citizens, the majority of whom were children and women, were killed, and others were injured, at dawn on Friday, in an Israeli bombing of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

Local sources reported that Israeli aircraft bombed a house in the Al-Zuhur neighborhood in the city of Rafah, killing six citizens and wounding others.

A number of citizens were also injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house near the tents of displaced persons in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of the city of Rafah, while nine citizens were injured in a bombing that targeted the Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip.

In this context, Qatar and Egypt called on Hamas to postpone its response that was scheduled yesterday after confirmation that it was negative, indicating that this would cause the negotiations for the exchange deal to collapse.

Hamas insists on a clear and explicit withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip and allowing freedom of movement in the north and south without restrictions or conditions.

Egypt and the United States provided guarantees and pledges to Hamas that the Israeli army would not return to war after the ceasefire, but Hamas also wants Turkey to be a party to the guarantees.

Egypt, the United States, Qatar, and Israel are still in intense negotiations during the last hours in order to draw up proposals that are compatible with Hamas’ demands to prevent the collapse of the negotiations.

The Israeli occupation forces have continued their aggression against the Gaza Strip, by land, sea and air, since the 7th of last October, which led to the death of 34,596 Palestinian citizens and the injury of 77,816 others, an infinite toll, as thousands of victims are still under rubble and on the roads, and ambulance crews cannot rescue reach them.