Gaza. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including four children, hospital officials said Saturday.

The children and two women were among at least 13 people killed in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza after Israeli airstrikes pounded the area starting late Friday, officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said. Another four people were killed in strikes near a fuel station, while 15 others died in Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, according to Nasser Hospital.

The Israeli military said in a statement that over the past 48 hours, troops struck approximately 250 targets across Gaza, including militants, booby-trapped structures, weapons storage sites, anti-tank missile launch posts, sniper positions, tunnels, and other Hamas infrastructure. The military did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment on civilian deaths.

Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its counts. The U.N. and other international organizations consider its figures the most reliable available.

US President Donald Trump has said he is close to securing another cease-fire agreement that could lead to the release of more hostages and potentially wind down the war. However, after two days of talks this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there were no signs of a breakthrough.

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