Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip (Archive – AFP)

Reports from Gaza indicate a series of attacks southwest of Gaza City, just before a government meeting to approve an agreement, with dozens of casualties in a building that was bombed, possibly in an attempt to assassinate a senior official.

According to Gaza’s Civil Defense forces, four people were killed in the attack in the Sabra neighborhood south of Gaza City, and 40 others are missing, possibly buried under the rubble. Dozens more were injured.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth questioned whether this was a last assassination before a ceasefire.