Israeli strikes in central Gaza kill 20 Palestinians as mediators make new push on cease-fire deal

Israeli airstrikes killed 20 Palestinians in central Gaza, including six children and three women, some of them inside a purported “safe zone” declared by the Israeli military, hospital authorities said. The strikes early Wednesday came as U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators as well as Israeli officials came together in the Qatari capital Doha for talks trying to push through a long elusive deal for a cease-fire and hostage release. The toll from an Israeli strike that hit a school where displaced families were sheltering in southern Gaza rose to 31 dead and more than 50 wounded, hospital officials said.