Five journalists from Gaza killed in an Israeli attack

The BBC was unable to verify the claims made by either side.

Quds Today is affiliated with the PIJ group which took part in the October 7, 2023 attack led by Hamas on Israel. The unprecedented attack sparked the Gaza war.

In a separate development, five people were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza City on Wednesday.

The Palestinian Wafa news agency and the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry also said another 20 people were wounded in the city’s al-Zeitoun neighborhood.

The Israeli military has not commented on the reported bombings.

Also Wednesday, Hamas and Israel blamed each other for delays in the latest attempt to reach a ceasefire.

Hamas accused the Israeli government of imposing “new conditions” which it said were delaying the deal.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the group had abandoned agreements already reached on a possible ceasefire.

The latest statements mark a notable shift in tone on both sides.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu’s office said Israeli representatives had returned from Qatar, which is mediating, after “significant negotiations” – and previous Palestinian negotiators told the BBC that talks were 90 percent complete, barring a few hiccups.

The Israeli military launched airstrikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip in response to last year’s Hamas attack. About 1,200 people were killed in the attack and another 251 were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

More than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Nearly two million people – 90% of the population – have been displaced, according to the UN.

Additional reporting by Jaroslav Lukiv.