Israeli attacks, aid crisis... and a ceasefire? Where things stand in Gaza war

The National

4 hours ago

Israel has once more intensified its attacks on Gaza, killing dozens of people and firing at schools, hospitals and aid centres, locals say.
The renewed offensive comes despite hopes that the end of a 12-day air war between Iran and Israel could open the door to peace in Gaza. While talks have resumed on a possible deal with Hamas, the strip continues to be hit by daily strikes.
Adding to the military operations is what is widely viewed as a desperate humanitarian crisis in Gaza, after Israel blockaded aid for more than two months. While some food deliveries have resumed, some of it is controlled by a US and Israeli-backed foundation whose activities have been marred by violence.
More than 20 months into the war, here are the latest developments.
Military campaign
Israel began what it calls Operation Gideon's Chariots in May, taking control of large parts of Gaza as part of its campaign against Hamas. Palestinian officials report daily fatalities as Israel bombards the strip.
Since dawn on Monday, at least 60 Palestinians were reported killed in a series of Israeli air strikes. One of the deadliest attacks occurred on a cafe where 13 people were reported killed and others injured on the Gaza city seafront.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that 28 bodies were brought to hospitals across Gaza in the past 24 hours alone. The death toll since the war began with Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, is 56,531, with 133,642 wounded. From March 18, 2025, alone, more than 6,200 people have been killed.
Israel disputes these casualty figures, saying they come from the Hamas-run authorities in Gaza and are too uncritically adopted by the UN. It says its objectives remain to defeat Hamas and return the hostages held by the militants.
The Hamas-run Government Media Office in Gaza says Israel has also attacked more than 250 shelters and refugee camps, housing more than half a million people. 'These centres, most of them originally schools, were supposed to be safe havens. Bombing them is a compounded crime,' it said.
'Everything is being targeted now, as if we're back to the early days of the war. What should we do? We're exhausted, physically and mentally, and there's no place left to go,' Jawad Zedan, a 60-year-old resident of Jabalia, told the The National.
'They're targeting shelters and tents. Every metre of Gaza holds death. We keep running from it, but I'm certain the day will come when death can no longer be escaped,' he added.
Humanitarian crisis
Aid workers say it is difficult to get food and medicine into Gaza due to Israeli restrictions, amid warnings of a worsening humanitarian crisis.
On Monday, Israeli forces bombed Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza for the 12th time since the war began. Gaza officials condemned the repeated bombings of medical facilities as 'a deliberate attempt to dismantle Gaza's healthcare infrastructure'.
Amjad Al Shawa, Director of the Palestinian NGO Network in Gaza, described the situation as 'a humanitarian catastrophe of historic proportions'. He told The National that 'the entire humanitarian system has collapsed'.
According to Mr Al Shawa, more than 80 per cent of hospitals are out of service, most medicines and supplies have run out, more than 60 children have died from malnutrition and about 100,000 more have severe nutritional deficiencies. More than 80 per cent of Gaza's territory is now under Israeli forced displacement orders.
He warned of 'truly catastrophic scenes' in the coming days unless urgent nutritional and medical aid is delivered. Israel says it is allowing some aid to enter the strip but seeks to prevent it falling into the hands of Hamas. It says the privately run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has provided almost 50 million meals to people in the strip.
Dozens of people have been reported killed while trying to collect aid from the GHF's warehouses. Israeli troops say they have fired warning shots to control crowds, while the foundation insists it is working in difficult conditions to bring people food.
Tayseer Muhanna, a representative of the media office, said the few aid lorries allowed into Gaza each week, compared to 600 lorries per day before the war, are often prevented from reaching distribution points. 'Many who attempt to reach these centres never return. They die trying to find food,' he said.
Civil defence workers warn that many areas remain inaccessible due to continuing attacks, and fuel shortages are severely hampering rescue and ambulance efforts.
Ceasefire talks
The end of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran was followed by a resumption of Gaza ceasefire talks. US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism that a deal could soon be reached, while musing about a wider settlement between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
There has been no clear progress in the talks although negotiators are engaging with Israel and Hamas to build on the momentum from the ceasefire in Iran. The US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to broker a new ceasefire since the previous arrangement collapsed in mid-March.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the end of the war in Iran 'presents an opportunity for a dramatic widening of peace agreements', which he said Israel was working on. 'Alongside the freeing of hostages and defeat of Hamas, there is a window of opportunity that must not be missed,' he said.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke to Trump envoy Steve Witkoff on Monday and 'emphasised the necessity' of a ceasefire, his office in Cairo said. He said this could be a prelude to achieving Mr Trump's 'vision of establishing comprehensive peace'.
Mr Abdelatty said it was necessary to 'present a political horizon for the Palestinian cause' that meets demands for an independent state and could 'spare the region from repeated cycles of escalation and tension'.