Israeli forces kill at least 27 people in Gaza attacks

Israeli forces killed at least 27 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including three people who died in a strike on a church that late Pope Francis used to speak to regularly, medics and church officials said.

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Eight men tasked with protecting aid trucks were reported among the dead in airstrikes that were carried out while mediators continued ceasefire talks in Doha.

A US official said this week the talks were going well but two officials from the Palestinian group Hamas told Reuters there had been no breakthrough as the Israeli military continued to pummel Gaza.

Photos released by the church showed its roof had been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and that windows had been broken.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident. Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement on X that the results of the investigation would be published. It also said the country did not target churches or religious sites and regretted harm to them or civilians.

Israel has been trying to eradicate Hamas in Gaza in a military campaign that began after the group's deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and has caused widespread hunger and privation in the tiny enclave.