By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO (Reuters) – Israeli military strikes killed at least 1‮7‬ Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, medics said, as forces stepped up bombardments on central areas and pushed tanks deeper in the north and south of the enclave.

Six people were killed in two separate air strikes on a house and near the hospital of Kamal Adwan in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, while four others were killed when an Israeli strike hit a motorcycle in Khan Younis in the south.

In Nuseirat, one of the Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps, Israeli planes carried out several air strikes destroying a multi-floor building and hitting roads outside mosques. At least seven people were killed in some of those strikes, health officials said.

Medics said at least two people, a woman and a child, were killed in tank shelling that hit western areas of Nuseirat, while an air strike killed five others in a house nearby.

In Rafah, near the border with Egypt, tanks pushed deeper into the northern-west area of the city, residents said.

There has been no Israeli comment on the fighting in Gaza overnight and early Thursday.

Israel’s 13-month campaign in Gaza, with the avowed intent of eradicating Hamas militants, has killed nearly 44,200 people and displaced nearly all the enclave’s population at least once, according to Gaza officials. Vast swathes of the territory are in ruins.

The war was launched in response to an attack by Hamas-led fighters who killed around 1,200 people and captured more than 250 hostages in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has said.

Months of attempts to negotiate a ceasefire have yielded scant progress, and negotiations are now on hold. Mediator Qatar has suspended its efforts until the sides are prepared to make concessions.

A ceasefire in the parallel conflict between Israel and Hamas’ Lebanese ally Hezbollah took effect before dawn on Wednesday, bringing a halt to hostilities that had escalated sharply in recent months and overshadowed the conflict in Gaza.

Announcing the Lebanon accord on Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said he would now renew his push for an elusive agreement in Gaza, urging Israel and Hamas to seize the moment.

A medical doctor, Donatus Nwasor, has been abducted by gunmen from his private clinic in Utagba-Uno, the Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Nwasor was abducted around 8.15 pm on Tuesday.

A source from the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, revealed that an auxiliary nurse at the clinic raised the alarm after witnessing the abduction.

The source said, “As her boss entered his car after closing around 8 pm and on the ignition, suddenly, a call came.

“While the car was running, he stepped out to answer a phone call. Suddenly, about five men came out of a nearby bush and hit him down, dragged him into his car and drove away.

“One of the kidnappers’ rubber sandals fell off at the clinic premises, and they drove towards the Ugiliamai / Iselegu area.”

Further investigations by the community revealed that the doctor’s car was later found abandoned near Iselegu Junction along the expressway heading to Asaba.

“A group of Anti-Cult personnel in Utagba-uno led by Mr Ugobueze got there around 9.10pm and found a car with all the doors opened without anyone inside. It was confirmed that it was Dr Nwasor’s car,” the source added.

Efforts to trace the abductors led to the discovery of a walkway sign in the bush near Obi-Ukpo in Onicha-Ukwuani.

The source disclosed that Nwasor’s family and concerned individuals have been informed, and the matter has been reported to the Nigeria Police Force, Kwale Division.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the command, Bright Edafe, said he had not received the information as of the time of filling this report.

A young man identified as Anaegbuachara, has allegedly confessed to k!lling his mother, grandmother, sister and niece for money ritu@l purpose in Amaeze village, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The suspect, who made the confession on Monday, November 25, 2024, said he k!lled the victims with poison-laced food.

Ekwutosblog had reported that that the incident occurred on Sunday, September 1, 2024.

The victims had shared a meal the previous night before going to bed.

The woman identified as Mama Chijioke Amaeze, had brought her ailing mother to her home and had been caring for her before the incident.

Enugu media personality, who reported the earlier case, said the suspect confessed to committing the crime as instructed by a native doctor that lives in Agbani area of Nsukka but hails from Kogi State.

He claimed that his friend identified simply as ‘Morroco, connected him to the native doctor, who prepared the poison for him.

According to the suspect, the native doctor instructed him to sacrifice his mother in exchange for wealth.

However, his sister and her too children visited their mother and also ate the poisoned food.

“He was instructed to poison and kîll his mother only and that same day he was instructed to carry out the devlîsh act the grandma, sister and 2 sister’s child visited and they all ate the food he poisoned together that’s how they all d!ed,” Chijinkem Ugwuanyi wrote.

“The only surviving one among them is a kid of around 9yrs and he was taken to hospital but since then he is mentally unstable and indirectly running mâd at the moment.

“He confessed to the crime yesterday and asked for forgiveness.”

A video he posted shows the suspected being paraded around the community before he was taken to his mother’s tomb where he knelt to beg for her forgiveness.

It was gathered that the native doctor has been arrested.