Deadly Israeli Airstrikes Hit Gaza as Ceasefire Talks Advance
On Saturday, a series of Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip claimed the lives of 24 Palestinians, including 10 killed while seeking food, according to hospital officials in the area. The violence unfolded amidst intensifying efforts to broker a truce in the nearly two-year-long conflict.
Casualties at Humanitarian Sites
Among the casualties were eight individuals near a humanitarian aid distribution point in the southern city of Rafah, with another person killed at a separate aid site in the same vicinity. However, the organization running these sites denied that the fatalities occurred in close proximity to their operations. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US and Israeli-backed entity, noted no prior shootings at their guarded distribution locations.
In addition, a Palestinian man was fatally shot while waiting in crowds for aid trucks in eastern Khan Younis, a hospital spokesperson confirmed. The affiliation of these aid trucks is unclear, but they are frequently accessed through Israeli-controlled zones, where crowd control often results in violence.
Targeted Areas and Victims
The airstrikes concentrated on southern Gaza, hitting targets in the Muwasi area along the Mediterranean coast and killing seven people, including a doctor and his three children. Additional strikes reported four deaths in Bani Suheila and three more in Khan Younis. Israeli military sources have not yet commented on these specific incidents.
Aid Workers Injured in Grenade Attack
Compounding the turmoil, two American aid workers affiliated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation were wounded when assailants threw grenades at a food distribution site in Khan Younis. The NGO shared images of explosive remnants and suggested the attack was carried out by militants, though concrete evidence has not been disclosed. The injured workers are receiving medical care, and their injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Ceasefire Negotiations Gain Traction
These violent episodes have occurred as diplomatic efforts led by the United States push for a 60-day truce to halt ongoing hostilities. Hamas responded positively to the latest ceasefire proposal but emphasized the need for detailed discussions to ensure that the truce would evolve into a full cessation of conflict, including Israeli troop withdrawals from Gaza.
The US President is actively advocating for a ceasefire agreement, with plans to host the Israeli Prime Minister at the White House next week to advance talks.
A Conflict Devastating Gaza
The current Gaza war erupted after a surprise attack by Hamas in early October 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the capture of roughly 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military response has led to over 57,000 Palestinian fatalities, displaced nearly the entire population of two million residents, and pushed many to the brink of starvation.
While figures provided by Gaza’s Health Ministry, operated by Hamas-affiliated medical professionals, do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, they remain the most widely referenced statistics by international watchers.
Humanitarian Challenges and Military Control
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aims to deliver food aid while circumventing UN channels, amid Israeli concerns that Hamas diverts UN supplies—a claim the UN denies. Despite the hardships, Palestinians face daily risks accessing aid distribution zones, which are heavily monitored and controlled by Israeli forces. Several hundred casualties on the Palestinian side have been linked to confrontations around these points.
