GAZA: Despite US President Donald Trump’s call for Israel to halt its Gaza offensive, the Israeli army has continued its bombing campaign. At least 24 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops on Sunday, sources told Al Jazeera Arabic.
Among the victims were four asylum seekers shot near an aid distribution centre north of Rafah, according to the Nasser Medical Complex.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from the town of az-Zuwayda in central Gaza, said Israeli attacks were continuing both in displacement zones and in Gaza City. “The Palestinians were hoping for a good night’s sleep, but that didn’t happen,” he said.
Civilian Toll Mounts in Two Years of War
Gaza’s Government Media Office said more than 2,700 families — comprising over 8,500 people — have been wiped off the civil registry during two years of conflict. At least 1,015 children under one year old have been killed, along with 1,670 medical workers, 254 journalists, and 140 civil defence rescuers.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged Sunday that the conflict was “the closest we’ve come to getting all of the hostages released,” but stressed that “the war in Gaza has not yet ended.”
Rubio urged Israel to stop its strikes ahead of the Egypt talks, telling CBS: “You can’t release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop. There can’t be a war going on in the middle of it.”
Dispute Over Israel’s Withdrawal
Under Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, Hamas would release the remaining captives and Israel would pull back its forces to the “yellow line” — the position held in August.
However, Israeli media quoted defence minister Israel Katz saying Israel would maintain control of parts of Gaza. “Hamas will be disarmed, the Gaza Strip will be demilitarised, and the [Israeli army] will remain in controlling areas to protect the communities,” Katz said.
Arab States Endorse Hamas Move
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement Sunday, welcoming Hamas’s steps toward Trump’s Gaza plan, including the release of all Israeli captives and the immediate start of implementation talks.
“The Foreign Ministers also welcomed President Trump’s call on Israel to immediately stop the bombing and to begin implementation of the exchange agreement, and they expressed appreciation for his commitment to establishing peace in the region,” the statement said.
They also praised Hamas’s announcement of its readiness “to hand over the administration of Gaza to a transitional Palestinian Administrative Committee of independent technocrats.”
Hamas Welcomes “Important Support”
Izzat al-Risheq, a senior Hamas political bureau member, said the statement represented “important support” for ending the war. He welcomed the “clear backing for the Palestinian position in the negotiations,” adding that it “strengthens the chances of reaching a lasting ceasefire agreement.”
“We look forward to further Arab and Islamic support in order to stop the aggression and genocide being inflicted on our people in the Gaza Strip, leading to an end of the occupation and the realisation of our Palestinian people’s aspirations to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” al-Risheq said.
