GAZA: Israel continued its military operations across the besieged Gaza Strip despite renewed hopes for a ceasefire following a proposal from Hamas earlier this week to reach a lasting truce agreement.
An Israeli delegation, led by spy chief David Barnea, traveled to Qatar to meet with mediators on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed. The talks, aimed at resolving the nine-month-long conflict, are set to resume next week with another negotiating team scheduled to hold talks in Doha.
Despite the diplomatic efforts, Netanyahu’s office said that significant “gaps between the parties” remain unresolved.
The latest developments unfolded after Hamas presented new “ideas” to Qatari and Egyptian mediators earlier in the week, signaling a potential shift in their approach to ceasefire negotiations. While specific details of the proposal were not disclosed, a US official described the update as a “breakthrough,” however cautioning that obstacles remained.
Reacting to the proposal, Hamas group spokesperson Jihad Taha indicated that mediators had responded positively, but expressed uncertainty over Israel’s official stance, according to The Associated Press.
Hamas has demanded a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire in the besieged territory in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages. However, Netanyahu rejected the demand and maintained that Israeli bombardment would only end with Hamas’s complete eradication.
Meanwhile, violence continued unabated as Israeli forces intensified their attacks on Gaza, focusing particularly on southern cities such as Khan Younis and Rafah, as well as northern Gaza City. Reports from Nasser Hospital indicated at least 10 casualties from strikes in southern Gaza, while Gaza City’s Shujayea neighborhood witnessed relentless bombardment.
At least 38,098 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip since last October, the Health Ministry in the besieged territory said on Saturday.
A ministry statement added that 87,705 people have also been injured in the Israeli onslaught. “Israeli attacks killed 29 people and injured 100 others in the last 24 hours,” the statement said.
“Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for killing 10 Israeli soldiers in an ambush in Shujayea, although Israel’s military did not immediately confirm the incident.
Meanwhile, tensions remained heightened along the Lebanon-Israel border, where clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have fueled concerns of broader escalation. Hezbollah reported targeting Israeli military positions near the border on Friday.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with approximately 90 percent of the population displaced and facing severe shortages of essential supplies. Nearly 500,000 people are confronting acute hunger, according to the United Nations, which has called for urgent humanitarian aid and emphasized the critical need for a ceasefire to facilitate relief efforts.
European Union officials Josep Borrell and Janez Lenarcic condemned Israeli orders to evacuate over 250,000 Palestinians from eastern Khan Younis, warning that such actions exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and hinder access to vital medical care.
“A ceasefire is urgently needed to allow for humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the release of all hostages,” Borrell and Lenarcic said in a joint statement.
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Nearly nine months into the Israeli war, vast areas of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
