At least 34 killed in latest Israeli strikes as Gaza ceasefire talks gain traction
Gaza Strip: At least 34 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza between Friday night and Saturday morning, according to health officials, as diplomatic efforts toward a ceasefire appear to be gaining traction.
The latest strikes targeted multiple locations, including a makeshift shelter at Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, where 12 people died. Another eight were killed in nearby apartments, and six more lost their lives when a strike hit a tent sheltering displaced families in Muwasi, southern Gaza. Bodies were brought to Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, staff confirmed.
The death toll in the Gaza war now exceeds 56,000, according to the local Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians but says more than half the dead are women and children.
The new wave of airstrikes coincides with a fresh push for a truce. US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire agreement “could happen within the next week,” telling reporters in the Oval Office that the US is “trying to get it taken care of.” An Israeli official told AP that Ron Dermer, Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, will visit Washington next week for discussions on Gaza, Iran, and other regional concerns.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire have repeatedly stalled since Israel broke the last truce in March. Around 50 hostages are still believed to be held in Gaza, though fewer than half are thought to be alive. They were part of the approximately 250 people taken during Hamas’s 7 October 2023 assault on Israel, which sparked the current war, now in its 21st month.
Hostage families hope Trump’s involvement, especially after his recent role in brokering calm between Israel and Iran, could boost momentum for a Gaza deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently buoyed by strong public backing over the Iran conflict, may now feel he has more political flexibility to move toward a truce — despite opposition from his far-right coalition partners.
Hamas continues to insist it will release all hostages only in exchange for a complete end to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Netanyahu remains adamant that the war will not end until Hamas is dismantled and exiled, a condition Hamas firmly rejects.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. After a two-and-a-half-month blockade of food supplies, Israel has only allowed limited aid into the territory since mid-May. UN-led aid convoys have struggled with armed gang looting and chaotic scenes of civilians intercepting trucks.
Witnesses and health officials report that Israeli forces have shot at Palestinians trying to reach newly formed food distribution points run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The Israeli military says it is investigating these incidents.
(With AFP inputs)