The US and its Arab allies appeared divided after meeting between regional foreign ministers and secretary of state Antony Blinken
The United States and its Arab allies appeared divided over calls for a ceasefire in Israel’s military offensive against Hamas, as the US pushed for a more temporary pause in fighting amid growing global anger over the rising death toll among Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
On Saturday, several Middle East foreign ministers urged the US to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire in a meeting with the secretary of state, Antony Blinken. The top US diplomat, however, dismissed the idea, saying such a halt would only benefit Hamas, allowing the militant organisation to regroup and attack again.
The diplomatic wrangling came as the conflict entered its fifth week, with reports that more than 30 people were killed in a strike on a refugee camp in central Gaza.
Palestinian news agency Wafa was the first to report on the bombing at Gaza’s Maghazi refugee camp late on Saturday. Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry said Israel had attacked the camp, adding that most of the dead were women and children.
An Israeli military spokesperson said it was looking into whether the Israel Defence Forces had been operating in the area at the time of the bombing.
Earlier on Saturday, Palestinians reported a deadly Israeli strike on a UN-run school in northern Gaza serving as a shelter.
Witnesses said the strike hit the al-Fakhoura school in Jabalia, where thousands of evacuees were living.
