
Gaza ceasefire talks continue as Israel carries out fresh wave of strikes
Ceasefire talks
between Israel and
Hamas
have been continuing in Qatar for a second day as Israeli warplanes and artillery launched a fresh wave of strikes across
Gaza
, killing at least 103 people, according to health officials in the Palestinian territory.
The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, signalled on Sunday that Israel was open to a deal with Hamas that would include 'ending the fighting' in Gaza, but laid out conditions that have been repeatedly refused by the militant Islamist organisation.
'Even at this very moment, the negotiation team in Doha is working to exhaust every possibility for a deal ... which would include the release of all the hostages, the exile of Hamas terrorists and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip,' his office said in a statement.
In Gaza, medical officials said they could not cope with the casualties from the most recent strikes.
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'Hospitals are overwhelmed with the growing number of casualties, many are children, several cases of amputations and the hospitals, which have been hit repeatedly by the occupation, are struggling with shortages of medical supplies,' Khalil al-Deqran, the territory's health ministry spokesperson, told Reuters.
In northern Gaza, a strike on Sunday on a home in the Jabaliya area killed nine people from a single family, according to the health ministry's emergency services. Another strike in Jabaliya, killed 10, including seven children and a woman, civil defence officials said.
At least 12 people were killed in three separate strikes in central Gaza, hospitals said. More than 48 people were killed in air strikes in and around the southern city of Khan Younis, some of which hit houses and tents sheltering displaced people, according to medics at Nasser hospital, which added that more than half of the dead were women and children.
There was no independent confirmation of the death tolls and the Israeli military had no immediate comment on the overnight strikes.
Israeli officials have described the fresh attacks as the beginning of a major new offensive, codenamed Operation Gideon's Chariots, which they say could lead to the seizure of swathes of Gaza and the displacement of much of the population to its south.
Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to the territory's Hamas-controlled health Ministry. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields – a charge the group denies – and says it has attacked 'terrorist targets'.
Hamas took about 250 hostages during its October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people. Fifty-seven of the hostages are still held by Hamas, though most of these are thought to be dead.
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The indirect talks in Qatar are reportedly focusing on securing a two-month truce, with Hamas freeing about half the 20 or so living hostages it is still holding.
In return, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinians from its jails and end the tight blockade it has placed on Gaza since early March. The US would offer strong guarantees to ensure talks about a permanent end to the war took place.
In March, Israel refused to engage in talks about a second phase of a fragile two-month ceasefire that could potentially have led to an end to the conflict and the release of remaining hostages. It then imposed a tight blockade on Gaza and relaunched its air offensive.
Mr Netanyahu has been repeatedly accused of prolonging the war for domestic political reasons – charges which he denies – and has frequently promised that Israel will continue to fight until Hamas is 'crushed'.
Hamas, which released an US-Israeli hostage last week as a goodwill gesture before Donald Trump travelled to the Middle East for a four-day visit, has previously insisted on a deal that definitively ends the war and leads to the withdrawal of Israel's forces. It has also refused to disarm or to accept the exile of its leaders.
Israel, which claims Hamas systematically loots aid to fund its military and other operations, has put forward a plan to distribute humanitarian assistance from a series of hubs in Gaza run by private contractors and protected by Israeli troops.
The US has backed the plan, which has been described as unworkable, dangerous and potentially unlawful by aid agencies because it could lead to the forced mass transfer of populations.
Food security experts have warned that any delay will cost lives, and that cases of acute malnutrition, particularly among young children, are soaring.
Some of the heaviest Israeli strikes earlier this week were aimed at Mohammed Sinwar, the current commander of Hamas in Gaza, who, Israeli officials said, was sheltering in tunnel systems under a hospital complex in Khan Younis. The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, reportedly suggested on Sunday that he had been killed.
The prospect of a massive new offensive, the recent strikes and the tight blockade imposed on Gaza in March by Israel have prompted a growing wave of international concern and anger.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, on Friday said the bombing campaign aimed at bringing about a 'permanent demographic shift in Gaza' that was in 'defiance of international law' and was equivalent to ethnic cleansing.
His comments were also echoed by the UN secretary general, António Guterres, who called for a permanent ceasefire while speaking at an Arab League summit in Baghdad on Saturday. – Guardian
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RTÉ News
10 hours ago
- RTÉ News
60 killed in Gaza attacks, many near aid site
Israeli gunfire and airstrikes have killed at least 60 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them near an aid site in the centre of the enclave, according to health officials. The facility is operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the United States and Israel. Medical officials at Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals said at least 25 people were killed and dozens wounded as they approached a food distribution centre near the former Jewish settlement of Netzarim. Israel's military, which has been at war with Hamas militants since October 2023, said that its forces fired warning shots towards a group of suspects as they posed a threat to troops in the area of the Netzarim Corridor. "This is despite warnings that the area is an active combat zone. The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) is aware of reports regarding individuals injured; the details are under review," it added. Later, health officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza said that at least 14 people had died in Israeli gunfire as they approached another GHF site in Rafah. The foundation accused Hamas of killing at least five people in an attack on a bus carrying two dozen Palestinians working with the organisation to one of its distribution sites. "We will continue our mission to provide critical aid to the people of Gaza," it said in a statement. The foundation earlier said that it was unaware of the incidents involving civilians, but added that it was working closely with Israeli authorities to ensure safe passage routes are maintained and that it was essential for Palestinians to closely follow instructions. "Ultimately, the solution is more aid, which will create more certainty and less urgency among the population," it added in a statement. "There is not yet enough food to feed everyone in need in Gaza. Our current focus is to feed as many people as is safely possible within the constraints of a highly volatile environment." GHF said that it distributed 2.5 million meals yesterday, the largest single-day delivery since it began operations, bringing to more than 16 million the number of meals provided since its operations started late last month. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said that, since then, 163 Palestinians had been killed and over 1,000 wounded trying to obtain food boxes. The United Nations condemned the killings and refused to supply aid via the foundation, which uses private contractors with Israeli military backup in what it said is a breach of humanitarian standards. Elsewhere in Gaza, the health ministry said at least 11 people were killed by separate Israeli gunfire and strikes across the territory. The war erupted 20 months ago after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, on 7 October 2023, Israel's single deadliest day. Nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have died in Israel's military campaign, according to health authorities in Gaza. The operation has flattened much of the densely populated enclave, which is home to more than two million people. Most of the population is displaced and malnutrition is widespread. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that there had been "significant progress" in efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, but that it was "too soon" to raise hopes that a deal would be reached. Two Hamas sources said they did not know about any breakthrough in negotiations. UN to vote on demand for immediate Gaza ceasefire The United Nations General Assembly will vote today on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza after the US vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week. The 193-member assembly is likely to adopt the text with overwhelming support, diplomats say, despite Israel lobbying countries this week against taking part in what it called a "politically-motivated, counter-productive charade". General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war. Previous demands by the body for an end to the war have been ignored. Unlike the Security Council, no country has a veto in the assembly. The vote comes ahead of a UN conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestinians. The US has urged countries not to attend. Washington warned that "countries that take anti-Israel actions on the heels of the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to US foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences." The United States last week vetoed a draft Security Council resolution that also demanded an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" and unhindered aid access in Gaza, arguing it would undermine US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire. The other 14 countries on the council voted in favour of the draft. The draft resolution before the General Assembly demands the release of hostages held by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. It demands unhindered aid access and "strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians ... of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supply and access." "This is both false and defamatory," Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon wrote in a letter to member states. He described the General Assembly draft resolution as an "immensely flawed and harmful text," urging countries not to take part in what he said was a "farce" that undermines hostage negotiations and fails to condemn Hamas. In October 2023, the assembly called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza with 120 votes in favour. In December 2023, 153 countries voted to demand an immediate humanitarian truce.


Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
More than 55,000 Palestinians killed in Israel-Hamas war, health officials say
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RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Israeli strikes kill at least 35 in Gaza, say medics
Israeli military strikes have killed at least 35 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them at an aid site operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in central Gaza, local health officials said. Medical officials at Shifa and Al-Quds Hospitals said at least 25 people were killed as they approached the aid site near the former settlement of Netzarim, and dozens were wounded. Ten other people were killed in other Israeli military strikes in Khan Younis in the south of the enclave, they added. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Yesterday, when Gaza health officials said 17 people were killed near another GHF aid site in Rafah in southern Gaza, the army said it fired warning shots to distance "suspects" who were approaching the troops and posed a threat. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there had been "significant progress" in efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, but that it was "too soon" to raise hopes that a deal would be reached. Despite efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to restore a ceasefire in Gaza, neither Israel nor Hamas has shown willingness to back down on core demands, with each side blaming the other for the failure to reach a deal. Two Hamas sources told Reuters they did not know about any new ceasefire offers. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in a 7 October 2023, attack. Israel's military campaign has since killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave.