Middle East latest: Israeli strike in Gaza kills at least 7 people, including 4 kids

An Israeli airstrike on a residential building in central Gaza killed at least seven Palestinians, including four children, and wounded 16 other people Friday afternoon, health officials said.

Israel faces heavy international criticism over the unprecedented levels of civilian casualties and the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Israel says it only strikes militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because its fighters operate in residential areas.

More than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in 14 months of war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’ October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people. Negotiators say Israel and Hamas are inching toward a ceasefire deal that would free the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Elsewhere in the region, a U.S. diplomatic delegation was in Damascus holding talks with Syria’s new leadership. It's the first American delegation to formally visit Syria in more than a decade, and comes less than two weeks after jihadi-led rebels overthrew the government of President Bashar Assad.

Syria is home to diverse sects, and there's ongoing fear and uncertainty among minority groups, including Christians, regarding their rights and safety under the main rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, once an affiliate of al-Qaida.