Israeli Airstrikes Kill Dozens in Gaza on the Eve of High-Level Cease-fire Talks in Egypt

TOPSHOT – Palestinians watch as smoke rises from a building hit by an Israeli strike after a warning from the army to its occupants to evacuate the premises, in the Rimal neighbourhood of central Gaza City on August 21, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant Hamas movement. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP) (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)

CAIRO (AP) — Health workers say multiple Israeli airstrikes have killed at least three dozen Palestinians in southern Gaza while officials including a Hamas delegation gather for high-level cease-fire talks in neighboring Egypt. The U.S. delegation led by CIA Director William Burns and White House Middle East adviser Brett McGurk has held talks with senior Egyptian officials and then with Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The war has killed over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza and forced many into a shrinking “humanitarian zone.” One displaced woman says a “mercy bullet” would be better than the life they face now.