Israeli airstrikes kill dozens in Gaza, health workers say; high-level cease-fire talks held in Egypt
LA TimesPalestinians mourn a relative killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, at a hospital in Khan Yunis, on Saturday. Israeli airstrikes killed at least three dozen Palestinians in southern Gaza, health workers said Saturday, as officials including a Hamas delegation gathered for high-level cease-fire talks in neighboring Egypt. In Egypt, the U.S. delegation led by CIA Director William Burns and White House Middle East advisor Brett McGurk held talks with senior Egyptian officials and then with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to comment publicly. He said Hamas’ position hadn’t changed from accepting an earlier draft that would include the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Major differences remain between Israel and Hamas over Israel’s insistence that it maintain forces in the Philadelphi corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt and the Netzarim east-west corridor across the territory to prevent smuggling and catch militants.