Hope for a new truce between Israel and Hamas is waning as Israeli forces intensify attacks across the Gaza Strip. At least 21 Palestinians have been killed since dawn, with attacks reported in Khan Younis, Deir el-Balah, and Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that 51 bodies were brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours, with 115 people wounded. The total death toll since October 7, 2023, is at least 52,423, with 117,639 wounded. The Gaza Government Media Office has updated its death toll to more than 61,700, including thousands missing under the rubble and presumed dead.
Mediator Qatar Indicates Progress
Mediator Qatar indicates some progress in talks aimed at securing a new truce between Israel and Hamas. Hamas has presented its “vision for reaching a comprehensive deal that achieves a ceasefire, prisoner exchange, and reconstruction” to mediators in Cairo. However, the intensified attacks cast doubt on the prospects for a breakthrough.
Aid Groups Sound the Alarm
Aid officials are sounding the alarm over “full-scale famine conditions” in Gaza amid Israel’s blockade. The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) reports that its food stocks in Gaza are completely depleted, affecting over 400,000 people. Civilian casualties continue to mount, with reports of a child killed after sustaining injuries in an attack on tents for displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis, and fishermen killed or wounded by Israeli fire. Airstrikes have killed at least 17 people across the territory, with more trapped under the rubble after a family home was hit. Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN’s humanitarian agency (OCHA) in Gaza, says Israel’s “total and complete blockade” of the Strip is causing “endless suffering.”
Context of the Conflict
The current conflict is part of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The situation escalated following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,139 deaths and over 200 people taken captive. Since then, Israel has launched a military campaign in Gaza, resulting in a large number of Palestinian casualties and widespread displacement. The intensified attacks and dire humanitarian situation underscore the urgent need for a ceasefire and increased aid access to prevent further loss of life and suffering.