Gaza death toll passes 58,000 from Israeli attacks as ceasefire hopes fade
An Israeli air raid hit a bustling market in Gaza City, killing 12 people. Among the victims was prominent medical consultant Ahmad Qandil, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported. The Israeli military has not commented on the strike.
Gaza's Government Media Office also accused Israel and security contractors working at aid distribution points of intentionally attacking civilians. In a statement, it called United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites 'death traps' and described the situation as 'genocide engineering under US sponsorship'.
At least 805 people have been killed and 5,250 wounded while attempting to collect aid since the GHF started operating in May.
One of Israel's deadliest attacks on desperate Palestinians occurred in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where a missile strike killed at least 10 people, most of them children, as they queued to collect drinking water. Seventeen others were wounded, according to Dr Ahmed Abu Saifan at al-Awda Hospital.
Israel's military said it had targeted a Palestinian fighter, but the missile veered off course because of a technical failure. The Israeli claim could not be independently verified.
Gaza has suffered from chronic water shortages, worsened in recent weeks as desalination and sanitation plants shut down due to the ongoing Israeli blockade of fuel. Many residents now rely on dangerous journeys to limited water collection points.
Since Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the number of people killed has risen to at least 58,026, with more than 138,500 wounded. More than half of those killed have been women and children.
Al Jazeera's Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said hundreds have died while attempting to access humanitarian aid from GHF-controlled points.
'People travel up to 15km [9 miles] from the north to Rafah – many on foot, some overnight – just to get one food parcel,' he said. 'But even then, they're met with live fire from Israeli forces.'
Eight United Nations agencies – including UNICEF, WHO, WFP and UNRWA – warned on Sunday that without immediate fuel access, critical services in Gaza could collapse. Hospitals, sanitation centres and food distribution operations face imminent shutdown.
'Without fuel, these lifelines will vanish for 2.1 million people,' the agencies said in a joint statement. 'Fuel must be allowed into Gaza in sufficient quantities and consistently to sustain life-saving operations.'
Attempts to end the fighting received a cautious boost on Sunday when US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said he remained 'hopeful' about the ceasefire talks. He was expected to meet Qatari officials on the margins of the FIFA Club World Cup Final.
But optimism appears to be fading. A US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire remains bogged down in disagreements, with both sides blaming each other for delays.An Israeli official confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to convene cabinet ministers late on Sunday to discuss the talks, which are focused on ending hostilities, a troop withdrawal and the release of captives held in Gaza.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Palestinian Islamic Jihad's deputy leader Muhammad al-Hindi said Israel has resisted committing to key conditions before moving on to the topic of prisoners.
'We're discussing a framework agreement. It includes three points: ending aggression, withdrawal from Gaza and safe aid distribution,' he said. 'Israel wants to skip straight to the prisoners' file without guarantees on the main issues.'
Al-Hindi accused Israel of seeking to control southern Rafah and force civilians into overcrowded, bombed-out areas under the guise of aid distribution.
'We cannot legitimise these aid traps that are killing our people. The resistance will not sign any agreement that amounts to surrender.'
Meanwhile, in Israel, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said that Netanyahu's close adviser, Jonatan Urich, is facing possible indictment over allegations he leaked classified military information to the German newspaper Bild.
Urich and another aide are accused of passing on secret intelligence to influence public opinion after six Israeli captives died in Gaza last August. The deaths sparked mass protests in Israel and deepened public anger at the government's handling of ceasefire efforts.
Netanyahu has dismissed the investigation as politically motivated, calling it a 'witch-hunt'. Urich has denied any wrongdoing.
The Bild article, published shortly after the captives' bodies were discovered, aligned closely with Netanyahu's narrative of blaming Hamas for the collapse of earlier ceasefire talks.
A previous two-month truce, which began in January, saw the release of 38 captives before Israel broke the ceasefire and resumed its devastating military assault.
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