Israeli strike near Rafah aid site kills 30 Palestinians
Israeli troops work on their armoured vehicles at a position by Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on May 18, 2025. Photo: AFP
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An Israeli attack near an aid distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) killed at least 30 people in Rafah, Palestinian news agency WAFA and Hamas-affiliated media said on Sunday.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported attack, which WAFA said injured more than 115 people.
The GHF, also backed by Israel, recently started operating in Gaza.
While some Palestinians have expressed concern over its neutrality and biometric and other checks Israel said it would employ, Israeli officials maintain it allows for screening of recipients to exclude anyone found to be connected with Hamas.
Ceasefire talks
Hamas has submitted a counterproposal to the United States for a potential ceasefire in Gaza, including a 60-day truce, limited hostage releases, and the initiation of negotiations for a permanent ceasefire. However, the US has swiftly rejected the response as 'totally unacceptable.'
According to documents obtained by Al Jazeera, Hamas has offered to release 10 living Israeli captives in three stages and return the bodies of 18 more. In exchange, it demands the release of an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners.
The proposal also calls for the entry of unconditional humanitarian aid through the UN and affiliated agencies, and for negotiations on a permanent ceasefire to commence on the first day of the truce. Hamas further requested a guarantee from the Trump administration—cited in the draft proposal—to support talks toward a final settlement.
Read: UN humanitarian chief says Gaza facing forced starvation by Israel
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff criticised the response, saying it would only 'take us backward,' and urged Hamas to accept the framework already presented by Washington and its allies.
I received the Hamas response to the United States' proposal. It is totally unacceptable and only takes us backward.
Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks, which we can begin immediately this coming week.
That is the only… — Office of the Special Envoy to the Middle East (@SE_MiddleEast) May 31, 2025
'That is the only way we can close a 60-day ceasefire deal in the coming days, in which half of the living hostages and half of those who are deceased will come home to their families,' Witkoff said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
A senior Hamas official, speaking to regional media, said the group's counteroffer was intended as a 'positive response' and focused on securing a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a binding ceasefire.
Read more: Hamas agrees to US ceasefire proposal, but Israel rejects it
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the US envoy's assessment, rejecting Hamas's proposal and accusing the group of remaining entrenched in 'rejectionism.'
Israel's war on Gaza
Gaza's health ministry said on Sunday that at least 3,785 people had been killed in the territory since a ceasefire collapsed on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,939, mostly civilians, according to AFP.
Israel's atrocities have displaced around 90% of Gaza's estimated 2 million residents, created a severe hunger crisis, and caused widespread destruction across the territory.
The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing at least 61,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Al Jazeera.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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