Israeli military says targeted Hamas commanders in Gaza; Palestinian sources say child killed

JERUSALEM, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said Tuesday that it targeted commanders from Hamas' elite Nukhba force in a strike, which Palestinian sources said killed six, including a child, in Gaza City.

The Israeli military said in a statement that the attack struck a refugee camp in northern Gaza and targeted a Hamas company commander, three platoon commanders and several other militants. It did not say whether those targeted were killed.

The military said the militants had "advanced attacks against (Israeli) troops operating in the Gaza Strip," claiming that "measures were taken to mitigate harm to uninvolved civilians," prior to the strike.

Earlier in the day, Palestinian medical sources said at least six Palestinians, including a child, were killed and 10 others injured in an Israeli airstrike that hit a cafe in the seaport area west of Gaza City.

The attack came amid renewed diplomatic efforts to advance talks on the Gaza ceasefire plan.

U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks in Jerusalem on Monday and agreed to establish two working groups to advance the demilitarization of Gaza and address infrastructure and public health needs in the war-devastated enclave.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu rejected a U.S.-backed 15-point roadmap for Gaza, insisting Israel will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed. Hamas, in turn, tied any progress to arrangements concerning a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, and future administration of the enclave. Enditem