At least nine Palestinians, including two children and a woman, were killed at dawn today by Israeli shelling in Khan Younis and the Al Nuseirat camp area in the Gaza Strip, reported the Palestinian Wafa agency, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
At least 15 people were injured in the attacks, Wafa said.
US President Joe Biden spoke by phone with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, urging an elusive truce in Gaza, Reuters reported.
A White House account of the talks said Biden spoke with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and separately with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to discuss "diplomatic efforts to achieve a cessation of the fire and release of the hostages“.
Biden is spending a week's vacation at a ranch in California and is closely monitoring the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
Biden's talks came after the White House described talks in Cairo aimed at achieving a ceasefire as "constructive” and called on all parties to come together to work towards the implementation of the proposed agreement.
One of the issues under intense negotiation is Israel's insistence that it be allowed to maintain its forces along the "Philadelphia" corridor. between Egypt and Gaza.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that discussions continued today with Washington represented by CIA Director Bill Burns and US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk.
During a drone strike in northwestern Syria yesterday, a Saudi extremist was killed by a group linked to “Al Qaeda” group while riding a motorcycle, the US military said, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
The strike in the Jabal al-Zawiya region of the opposition-held Idlib province was carried out by the US-led coalition formed years ago to fight the militant group "Islamic State”.
Over the past few years, the US military has carried out a number of attacks targeting al-Qaida-linked; fighters in northwestern Syria.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that its forces killed Abu Abdul Rahman Maki, a senior leader of the Horras al-Din, or Guardians of the Religion, group in a "kinetic strike". The release said Mackie was "responsible for overseeing terrorist operations from Syria”.
"CENTCOM remains committed to the lasting defeat of terrorists ... who threaten the United States, its allies and partners, and regional stability,” said a statement from CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Eric Kurilla.
"Horace al-Din" includes die-hard members of al-Qaeda who have broken away from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the strongest rebel group in Idlib province.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group, said Makki was a Saudi national and former leader of the now-defunct extremist militant group “Jund al-Aqsa”.
Local media activist Kenana Hindawi said the motorcycle Maki was riding was hit by two missiles.