TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An Israeli attack killed at least six Palestinian civilians who were attending a wedding at a school converted into a shelter in Gaza City.
Israeli forces carried out the deadly assault on a shelter in Gaza City while senior officials from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey were in the United States for discussions on the fragile ceasefire's next steps.
At least six Palestinian civilians were killed and several others wounded on Friday in an Israeli attack in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City.
Local sources told Al Jazeera that Israeli tank shells struck the second floor of a school converted into a temporary shelter, where Palestinian families displaced by the conflict had gathered to attend the wedding.
The attack is the latest in a series of Israeli ceasefire violations since the U.S.-mediated agreement took effect on October 10, according to the Gaza government's Media Office.
The two-year Israeli genocide has claimed the lives of over 70,700 victims, predominantly Palestinian women and children, and injured more than 170,000 people since October 2023.
The Gaza Health Ministry stated that at least 395 Palestinians have been killed and 1,088 injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire was implemented.
Conference in Miami
The recent Israeli attack occurred as the U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, Steve Witkoff, and other senior U.S. officials were scheduled to initiate talks in Miami, Florida, on how to achieve the next phase of the Gaza agreement.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that discussions were ongoing with representatives from Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, adding that he might join the negotiations at a later stage.
He stressed that the U.S.'s priority was to complete the first phase of the ceasefire deal by establishing a Palestinian technocratic committee to govern Gaza, forming a foreign-led "Board of Peace," and deploying international police forces to the region.
"No one is arguing that the status quo is sustainable in the long term, nor desirable, and that’s why we have a sense of urgency about bringing phase one to its full completion," a senior U.S. diplomat told reporters at a press conference at the State Department.
"Once we’ve established that, we have a lot of confidence that we are going to have the donors for the reconstruction effort and for all the humanitarian support in the long-term, building of phases two and phases three."
Earlier, U.S. news outlet Axios reported that the Miami meeting would be attended by Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
Israel Still Blocks Aid
Despite Washington's insistence that the ceasefire remains in place, Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza have continued almost unabated since the ceasefire began on October 10.
Israel has also blocked much-needed humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza, which has been devastated by the two-year genocide in the Palestinian territory.
Rubio stated on Friday, as reported by Anadolu, that Washington wants to see an increase in humanitarian aid flow into the Gaza Strip, including to areas still under Hamas control.
"We want to continue to see the flow of aid increase into those parts of Gaza that are still under Hamas control," Rubio said.
He mentioned that the current ceasefire is in place, and large-scale hostilities have decreased compared to the early phases of the war, but significant challenges remain.
Earlier on Friday, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes, artillery shelling, and heavy machine gun fire across eastern Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Israeli attacks also targeted Israeli-controlled areas south of Gaza City, while gunfire hit Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis, within the so-called "red line" area, a region that Israel is supposed to vacate under the ceasefire.
Al-Aqsa TV reported that Israeli artillery fire in eastern Khan Younis killed at least three Palestinians, including a woman. The channel stated that Israeli naval vessels also fired at fishing boats off the coast.
Elsewhere, Israeli warplanes bombed Deir el-Balah in central Gaza and carried out another attack in the Shujayea neighborhood of Gaza City, where plumes of smoke rose over the targeted area.
Hamas' Demands
A senior Hamas official stated that the talks in Miami should aim to end Israeli ceasefire violations in the Palestinian territories.
"Our people expect these talks to result in an agreement to put an end to ongoing Israeli lawlessness, halt all violations and compel the occupation to abide by the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement," said Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim.
Naim also mentioned that discussions should focus on increasing the delivery of humanitarian aid and the required equipment to rebuild Gaza, as well as reopening the southern Rafah crossing in both directions.
They should also address "how to implement the remaining elements of the Trump plan in a way that achieves sustainable stability, launches a comprehensive reconstruction process and paves the way for a political track enabling Palestinians to govern themselves, culminating in a fully sovereign and independent state," Naim added.
Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani warned on Wednesday that Israel's violations of the Gaza ceasefire threaten the entire agreement and called for urgent progress towards the next phase of the agreement.
Read: Gaza Flood Deaths 'Utterly Preventable,' Amnesty Says
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