IDF kills 27 in separate attacks in Gaza, Lebanon; Hamas dismisses truce claims

Even as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on Israel to pause fighting in Gaza to facilitate a polio vaccination campaign, the Jewish country stepped up attacks on Saturday (Aug 17), reportedlykilling at least 17 in the town of Zawayda. Among the dead were eight children and four women, hailing from the same family. "They were asleep in their beds, kids and babies, then three missiles targeted their place," one local resident was quoted as saying by news agencies.

A spokesperson for the IsraelDefense Forces (IDF) claimed militants were firing rockets from the location and the strike was conducted against them.

Massive evacuation order

Earlier, the Israeli military issued a new evacuation order, affecting about 170,000 people ‘in parts of Deir al Balah in the central Strip and Khan Younis in the south, including two blocks within the Israeli-designated “humanitarian zone” of Mawasi, said theUN humanitarian affairs office.

"This is one of the largest evacuation orders affecting the zone to date and it shrinks the size of the so-called 'humanitarian area' to about 41 square kilometres, or 11 per cent of the total area of the Gaza Strip," the statement added.

It was not clear whether the target site in Zawayda was also covered under the evacuation orders.

Attack in Lebanon

In a separate incident, an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed at least 10 people on Saturday, the biggest attack in terms of casualties since the start of the war in Gaza.

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The strike targeted a metal warehouse, which was described as Hezbollah’s weapons storage room by Israel.

Hamas dismisses truce claims

A Hamas official on Saturday dismissed speculations that the Gaza truce plan was near; a day after the United States, Egypt and Qatar revealed a peace proposal after holding negotiations in Doha.

"To say that we are getting close to a deal is an illusion," Hamas political bureau member Sami Abu Zuhri told news agency AFP. "We are not facing a deal or real negotiations, but rather the imposing of American diktats."

Earlier, US President Joe Biden had said, "We are closer than we have ever been."

Gaza polio vaccination campaign

The World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about the potential resurgence of the polio virus in the Gaza Strip as vaccination coverage has dropped to 86 per cent there.

Before the war, the coverage stood at 99 per cent.

If the virus spreads again, the disease “would have a disastrous effect, not only for Palestinian children in Gaza, but also in neighboring countries and the region,” Guterres said.

The warning came as Gaza reported its firstpolio case in 25 years, Hamas' health ministry said.

Tests in Jordan confirmed the disease in an unvaccinated 10-month-old from the central Gaza Strip.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.