KEY POINTS
- Israeli air strike in Khan Younis kills eight Palestinians on Eid al-Fitr
- Hamas accepts a ceasefire proposal from Egyptian and Qatari mediators
- Israel, in coordination with the US, submits a counter-proposal for a ceasefire
- The ceasefire plan reportedly includes a 50-day truce in exchange for five Israeli hostages
- Israeli strikes kill over 50,277 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 2023
- Protests in Israel accuse Netanyahu of endangering hostages by resuming attacks
GAZA CITY: At least eight Palestinians, including five children, were killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Gaza on Sunday, Gaza’s civil defence agency said, as Hamas confirmed its acceptance of a ceasefire proposal mediated by Egypt and Qatar.
Mahmud Bassal, spokesperson for the agency, said that a pre-dawn air strike hit a house and a tent sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, resulting in the casualties. The attack took place on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, a major Islamic festival.
The latest strike occurred amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war in Gaza.
A senior Hamas official, Khalil al-Haya, said on Saturday that the Palestinian group had “approved a draft deal” proposed by Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
Speaking in a televised address, he urged Israel to accept the plan, stating, “We hope that the occupation will not obstruct it.”
Ceasefire negotiations continue
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed receipt of the proposal and stated that Israel had submitted a counter-proposal “in full coordination with the United States.”
However, details of both proposals remain undisclosed.
According to BBC, the ceasefire proposal includes a 50-day truce in exchange for Hamas releasing five Israeli hostages.
The talks come as Israeli forces continue airstrikes across Gaza, while also conducting a ground offensive in Rafah, a city in the southern part of the enclave.
A previous ceasefire agreement, reached in January, collapsed on 18 March, leading to a resumption of Israeli military operations.
During the first phase of that agreement, Hamas released 33 hostages. The group is believed to be holding 59 more captives, though Israeli officials claim that not all of them are still alive.
Humanitarian toll and ongoing conflict
The war, which began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel. According to official Israeli figures, the Hamas attack killed 1,218 people, while 251 people were taken hostage, 58 of whom remain in captivity.
In response, Israel launched a relentless military campaign that, according to the health ministry in Gaza, has killed at least 50,277 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians.
Over the past month, Israel has intensified its attacks, with over 900 Palestinians killed since the breakdown of the January ceasefire, the ministry reported.
Meanwhile, protests have erupted within Israel, with demonstrators accusing Netanyahu’s government of endangering the remaining hostages by resuming military operations.
Hostages and political tensions
As ceasefire talks continue, tensions remain high. Hamas has previously demanded that any final ceasefire agreement include a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and an end to the war.
However, Israel and the United States had previously sought to extend the earlier truce without committing to a full cessation of hostilities.
The latest developments come as Hamas released a new video featuring hostage Elkana Bohbot, pleading for his release.
The video, widely circulated on social media, has further fuelled pressure on Netanyahu’s government to secure the release of hostages.
