KEY POINTS
- Israeli air strikes killed at least 67 Palestinians in Gaza over the past 24 hours
- 18,243 students, teachers, and education staff have been killed in Gaza and the West Bank
- Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha
- Qatar says Gaza ceasefire talks are still in the framework phase
- Trump expressed optimism about a potential Gaza truce deal
- UK warns of intensified measures against Israel if the humanitarian crisis worsens
GAZA CITY, Palestine: Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 67 Palestinians and injured 262 others in the past 24 hours, the territory’s health ministry said on Tuesday, as indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas continued in Doha, Qatar.
Five people were killed in an attack on a tent sheltering displaced persons in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, according to al-Ahli Hospital. Nine others died in a drone strike targeting a tent camp in al-Mawasi near Khan Younis.
Citing medical sources, Al Jazeera reported that 42 Palestinians were killed in the central and southern parts of Gaza.
The Gaza Health Ministry stated that the total death toll since October 7, 2023 has reached 57,593, with 136,879 others injured.
The ministry also reported that 766 people were killed while seeking humanitarian aid, and more than 5,000 were wounded in such incidents.
According to Wafa news agency, two Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes on the Hakr al-Jami’ area in Deir al-Balah, and four others died in the Bureij refugee camp when a school housing displaced families was hit.
18,243 students, education staff killed
The Palestinian Education Ministry said on Tuesday that at least 18,243 students, teachers, and administrative staff have been killed across Gaza and the occupied West Bank since the war began.
Of these, 17,175 students and 928 education staff were killed in Gaza alone, with over 30,000 others wounded. It added that more than 250 public schools in Gaza have been severely damaged or destroyed.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry has called for protection of trucks carrying urgently needed medical supplies expected to enter the enclave via the World Health Organization.
In a statement on Telegram, the ministry stressed that the supplies are vital for treating the wounded and saving lives, but do not include food. It urged residents to safeguard the convoy to ensure the delivery reaches hospitals.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military issued new forced evacuation orders for nine areas in Khan Younis.
According to Al Jazeera, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned of intensified operations and called on civilians to move westward, despite previous strikes on areas labelled as “safe zones” by Israel.
Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha
Meanwhile, indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said both delegations were present in the Qatari capital, but detailed discussions had yet to begin.
“What is being talked about is a general framework paper… we seek to bridge the gap,” he said during a press briefing.
He said that negotiations would “need time” and criticised media leaks that could jeopardise the process. The United States, Qatar, and Egypt are mediating the talks.
US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about the outcome, telling reporters, “I don’t think there is a hold-up. I think things are going along very well.”
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to join the talks later this week.
The US has reportedly proposed a 60-day truce under which Hamas would release 10 hostages and return several bodies, in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
According to Palestinian sources cited by AFP, Hamas is seeking guarantees against Israel’s resuming the war, conditions for Israeli withdrawal, and the restoration of UN-led humanitarian aid delivery.
Israeli officials speaking to Reuters said that although no breakthrough had been achieved so far, gaps in the negotiations “can be bridged.”
Israeli minister Zeev Elkin, a member of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s security cabinet, said there was a “substantial chance” of reaching an agreement, although Hamas still wanted changes to key elements.
UK to intensify measures against Israel
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary David Lammy told a parliamentary committee that Britain would intensify its measures against Israel if the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorates further.
“We have to get the ceasefire,” Lammy said. When asked whether further action would be taken against Israel, he replied, “Yes. Yes, we will.”
