Israeli strikes kill at least 34 in Gaza amid ceasefire talks, say health staff
At least 34 people were killed across Gaza by Israeli strikes, health staff say, as Palestinians face a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ceasefire prospects inch closer. The war has killed over 56,000 Palestinians so far, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.(AFP)
The strikes began late Friday and continued into Saturday morning, among others killing 12 people at the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more living in apartments, according to staff at Shifa hospital where the bodies were brought. Six others were killed in southern Gaza when a strike hit their tent in Muwasi, according to the hospital.
The strikes come as U.S. President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office Friday, the president said, 'we're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of.'
An official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Israel's Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, will arrive in Washington next week for talks on Gaza's ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Talks have been on again off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the Strip's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half of them believed to still be alive. They were part of some 250 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking the 21-month-long war.
The war has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. It says more than half of the dead were women and children.
There is hope among hostage families that Trump's involvement in securing the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran might exert more pressure for a deal in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is riding a wave of public support for the Iran war and its achievements, and he could feel he has more space to move toward ending the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners oppose.
Hamas has repeatedly said it is prepared to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza. Netanyahu says he will only end the war once Hamas is disarmed and exiled, something the group has rejected.
Meanwhile hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for 2 1/2 months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May.
Efforts by the United Nations to distribute the food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys.
Palestinians have also been shot and wounded while on their way to get food at newly formed aid sites, run by the American and Israeli backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to Gaza's health officials and witnesses.
Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on the roads heading toward the sites. Israel's military said it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Iran holds mass funeral for top Iranian officials killed in Israel strikes, minister warns Trump against further threats
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran on Saturday to mourn senior military officials and scientists killed in the recent conflict with Israel, according to the Associated Press (AP). The state funeral included top figures such as Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran's armed forces. They were among the roughly 60 people killed in the 12-day conflict, which ended earlier this week with a ceasefire. The BBC said the coffins, draped in Iranian flags, were carried through central Tehran, where large crowds gathered near Enghelab and Azadi squares. Many chanted slogans such as 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel.' The war began on June 13 after Israeli strikes targeted Iranian military commanders and nuclear sites. Iran responded by firing more than 550 missiles at Israel, according to Israeli officials. The Israeli army said it killed 30 senior Iranian military figures and 11 nuclear scientists and struck hundreds of sites linked to Iran's weapons programme. Iran said 627 people were killed in the country, including civilians, while 28 people died in Israel. The conflict led to a US intervention, with airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attended the funeral and warned US President Donald Trump against making further threats. 'If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader,' Araghchi posted on X. Trump has made several remarks about the conflict and Iran's leadership. When asked by the BBC during a White House briefing on Friday if he would bomb Iran again, he said: 'Absolutely.' He added he would 'without question' act if US intelligence found Iran was enriching uranium at dangerous levels. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he had been 'working on the possible removal of sanctions' but stopped after hearing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claim victory. Trump wrote that he saved Khamenei from an 'ugly death,' and didn't receive words of gratitude. 'Instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more.' Trump also claimed he knew Khamenei's location during the war and 'saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death.' Iran has suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The head of the agency, Rafael Grossi, told CBS News that damage to Iran's nuclear facilities, including the underground Fordow site, was 'very considerable' but warned that military action would not stop nuclear development. 'You are not going to solve this in a definitive way militarily, you are going to have an agreement,' he said. Although Iran's parliament has voted to halt cooperation with the IAEA, Araghchi hinted on X that Iran might be open to new talks. Ayatollah Khamenei has not appeared in public since the war began, though he issued a pre-recorded message after the ceasefire, saying that US and Israeli attacks had achieved 'nothing significant.'
News18
21 minutes ago
- News18
16 Pakistani Troops Killed In Suicide Attack; TTP Offshoot Claims Responsibility
Last Updated: A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing several soldiers and injuring civilians. At least 16 Pakistani soldiers were killed and more than two dozen others, including civilians, were injured after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. 'A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy," said a local government official in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The blast killed 16 soldiers and injured over two dozen others, including civilians. 'The explosion also caused the roofs of two houses to collapse, injuring six children," a police officer posted in the district told AFP. The condition of four injured soldiers is critical, an administrative official added. The attack was claimed by the suicide bomber wing of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur armed group, a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The latest comes amid a surge in violent militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In mid-March, the TTP announced a 'spring campaign" against security forces, threatening 'ambushes, targeted attacks, suicide attacks and strikes". The TTP has since claimed responsibility for around 100 attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Around 290 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to an AFP tally. Attacks have increased in Pakistan in particular since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. Islamabad accuses the Taliban government in Kabul of failing to eliminate militants who take refuge on Afghan soil to prepare attacks against Pakistan. The Taliban government denies these accusations and in return accuses Pakistan of harbouring 'terrorist" cells on its soil, pointing the finger in particular at the regional branch of the Islamic State group IS-K. Last year was the deadliest year in almost a decade in Pakistan, with more than 1,600 people killed in attacks — nearly half of them security forces personnel — according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies. (with agency inputs) First Published:
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Despite airstrikes, Trump officials quietly courted Iran with $30 billion nuclear deal and sanction relief
Even though US president Donald Trump publicly celebrated the bold strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend, his administration is quietly pursuing a very different approach by secretly meeting with Iranian officials and proposing various deals to lure them back to the negotiating table for nuclear talks, as per a report. Trump Administration Holds Secret Nuclear Talks With Iran According to a CNN report, a team of US officials led by special envoy Steve Witkoff have been engaged in private conversations with Iranian officials amid the heightened tensions and conflict with Israel. Sources familiar with the talks told CNN that the Trump administration floated proposals that included the possibility of investing $20 to $30 billion in a civilian non-enrichment nuclear program in Iran, as reported by Daily Beast. The team has reportedly even discussed about the potential of lifting some sanctions so Tehran could access $6 billion which are frozen in foreign bank accounts, according to the report. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mountain Gear for Extreme Conditions Trek Kit India Learn More Undo A Trump administration official told CNN on the condition of anonymity that, 'The U.S. is willing to lead these talks,' adding, 'And someone is going to need to pay for the nuclear program to be built, but we will not make that commitment,' as quoted by Daily Beast in its report. ALSO READ: Trump says Iran warned of missile strike at Al Udeid base: 'They asked if 1 o'clock was OK — I said fine' Live Events Gulf Allies Could Help Rebuild Fordow Site While, two other Trump administration officials revealed that the Trump administration even suggested that US-backed allies in the Gulf could pay to replace the recently bombed Fordow nuclear site with a civilian non-enrichment program, as reported by Daily Beast. CNN's source told the outlet, 'There are a lot of ideas being thrown around by different people, and a lot of them are trying to be creative,' and another source added, 'I think it is entirely uncertain what will happen here,' as quoted by Daily Beast. ALSO READ: Pornhub, XNXX in panic? US Supreme Court ruling lets states crack down on online adult content access Donald Trump Dismisses Urgency of New Nuclear Deal However, the US president told reporters during the NATO Summit on Wednesday that he did not believe a new nuclear deal with Iran was necessary, even though he confirmed that the United States would be holding talks with Iran next week, but the date is not yet been decided, according to the Daily Beast report. Trump mentioned that, 'We may sign an agreement, I don't know,' as quoted in the report. He said, 'They had a war, they fought, now they're going back to their world. I don't care if I have an agreement or not,' as quoted by Daily Beast. Previously, talks between Washington and Tehran were supposed to be held in Oman but were cancelled after Israel launched an attack on Iranian targets, as per the report. US Focuses on Promoting a Non-Enrichable Nuclear Future for Iran While Witkoff told CNBC on Wednesday that the United States continues to seek a 'comprehensive peace agreement,' as quoted by Daily Beast. He highlighted that, 'Now the issue and the conversation with Iran is going to be, how do we rebuild a better civil nuclear program for you that is non-enrichable?' as quoted in the report. FAQs Is the US lifting sanctions in Iran? There's discussion of easing sanctions to allow Iran access to $6 billion in frozen assets. Is the US negotiating with Iran while bombing its nuclear sites? According to a CNN report, the Trump administration has reportedly been in secret talks with Iranian officials even after the strikes.
