As Israel intensifies its bombardment of devastated Gaza, diplomatic efforts feel like they're unfolding on another planet
On Monday, one of Gaza City's few remaining beachfront cafes - a rare location still offering reliable internet access - was hit in a deadly airstrike.
The cafe was crowded at the time, and was popular with university students.
According to medical responders, at least 22 people were killed in the attack.
2:22
Eyewitnesses described the horror of what happened. "Forget red lines. We're past that. Nothing left to say. Looked around all I see is blood. Men, martyrs, limbs.
"Unbelievable. People come here to take a break from what they see inside Gaza. They come westward to breathe."
Among the dead were Frans Al-Salmi, a prominent Palestinian artist, and Ismael Abu Khatab, a well-known photojournalist.
More than 50 others were wounded in the blast.
Graphic images from the scene show chaos and carnage.
Images captured moments after the explosion show journalist Bayan Abu Sultan covered in blood and visibly dazed.
The attack came as part of a broader escalation in airstrikes across the Gaza Strip.
In the last 24 hours, Israel has intensified its bombardment, launching some of the heaviest raids seen in recent weeks.
The strikes coincide with new evacuation orders issued for areas in northern Gaza, triggering yet another wave of mass displacement among an already devastated civilian population.
Each day in Gaza brings new funerals and new grief. Civilians - exhausted, hungry, and increasingly desperate - have little choice but to endure.
Meanwhile, on the diplomatic front, there is talk of a potential breakthrough.
A proposed 60-day truce, tied to a staged hostage exchange, remains on the table. Yet significant differences remain.
Hamas wants a permanent end to the war, while the Israeli government insists on retaining the right to resume military operations once any temporary ceasefire expires.
These fundamental disagreements have repeatedly derailed negotiations in the past - and could do so again.
For the people trapped in Gaza, the renewed diplomatic efforts feel distant, abstract - as if unfolding on another planet.
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Sky News
22 minutes ago
- Sky News
Israel-Gaza live: Trump says Israel has agreed to 60-day ceasefire in war against Hamas
Analysis: Why Israel wants a 60-day ceasefire and not a permanent one By Mark Stone, US correspondent In the long Gaza war, this is a significant moment. For the people of Gaza, for the Israeli hostages and their families - this could be the moment it ends. But we have been here before, so many times. The key question - will Hamas accept what Israel has agreed to: a 60-day ceasefire? At the weekend, a source at the heart of the negotiations told me: "Both Hamas and Israel are refusing to budge from their position - Hamas wants the ceasefire to last until a permanent agreement is reached. Israel is opposed to this. At this point only President Trump can break this deadlock." The source added: "Unless Trump pushes, we are in a stalemate." The problem is that the announcement made now by Donald Trump - which is his social-media-summarised version of whatever Israel has actually agreed to - may just amount to Israel's already-established position. We don't know the details and conditions attached to Israel's proposals. Would Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza? Totally? Or partially? How many Palestinian prisoners would they agree to release from Israel's jails? And why only 60 days? Why not a total ceasefire? What are they asking of Hamas in return? We just don't know the answers to any of these questions, except one. We do know why Israel wants a 60-day ceasefire, not a permanent one. It's all about domestic politics. If Benjamin Netanyahu were to agree now to a permanent ceasefire, the extreme right-wingers in his coalition would collapse his government. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have both been clear about their desire for the war to continue. They hold the balance of power in Netanyahu's coalition. If Netanyahu instead agrees to just 60 days - which domestically he can sell as just a pause - then that may placate the extreme right-wingers for a few weeks until the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, is adjourned for the summer. It is also no coincidence that the US president has called for Netanyahu's corruption trial to be scrapped. Without the prospect of jail, Netanyahu might be more willing to quit the war, safe in the knowledge that focus will not shift immediately to his own political and legal vulnerability.
Sky News
38 minutes ago
- Sky News
Trump says Israel has agreed conditions for 60-day ceasefire in Gaza - and urges Hamas to accept
Donald Trump has said Israel has agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, and is urging Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US president announced the development ahead of hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House next week. He has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to work out a ceasefire and hostage agreement to end the war. 1:58 "My representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza," Mr Trump wrote on social media. "Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60-day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the war." Analysis: Many unanswered questions remain Mark Stone US correspondent @Stone_SkyNews In the long Gaza war, this is a significant moment. For the people of Gaza, for the Israeli hostages and their families - this could be the moment it ends. But we have been here before, so many times. The key question - will Hamas accept what Israel has agreed to: a 60-day ceasefire? At the weekend, a source at the heart of the negotiations told me: "Both Hamas and Israel are refusing to budge from their position - Hamas wants the ceasefire to last until a permanent agreement is reached. Israel is opposed to this. At this point only President Trump can break this deadlock." The source added: "Unless Trump pushes, we are in a stalemate." The problem is that the announcement made now by Donald Trump - which is his social-media-summarised version of whatever Israel has actually agreed to - may just amount to Israel's already-established position. We don't know the details and conditions attached to Israel's proposals. Would Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza? Totally? Or partially? How many Palestinian prisoners would they agree to release from Israel's jails? And why only 60 days? Why not a total ceasefire? What are they asking of Hamas in return? We just don't know the answers to any of these questions, except one. We do know why Israel wants a 60-day ceasefire, not a permanent one. It's all about domestic politics. If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to agree now to a permanent ceasefire, the extreme right-wingers in his coalition would collapse his government. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have both been clear about their desire for the war to continue. They hold the balance of power in Mr Netanyahu's coalition. If Mr Netanyahu instead agrees to just 60 days - which domestically he can sell as just a pause - then that may placate the extreme right-wingers for a few weeks until the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, is adjourned for the summer. It is also no coincidence that the US president has called for Mr Netanyahu's corruption trial to be scrapped. Without the prospect of jail, Mr Netanyahu might be more willing to quit the war safe in the knowledge that focus will not shift immediately to his own political and legal vulnerability. He added that Qatari and Egyptian officials would deliver the final proposal. "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better - IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," Mr Trump wrote. 2:17 Mr Trump's comments will bring fresh hope of an end to the 20-month war, which has seen Israeli forces lay waste to most of Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and roughly 250 were taken hostage. The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza since then has reached 56,500, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. An eight-week ceasefire was reached in the final days of Joe Biden's US presidency, but Israel resumed the war in March after trying to get Hamas to accept new terms on next steps. Talks of a fresh ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have stalled over whether or not the war should end as part of any deal. 3:55 Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi has accused Mr Netanyahu of stalling progress on a deal, saying the Israeli leader insists on a temporary agreement that would free just 10 of the hostages. Omer Dostri, a spokesperson for Mr Netanyahu, said that "Hamas was the only obstacle to ending the war", without addressing Mr Merdawi's claim. Hamas says it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the war in Gaza. Israel rejects that offer, saying it will agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile - something that the group refuses.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Trump claims Israel has agreed to 60-day ceasefire in Gaza
US president Donald Trump claimed Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal, warning that conditions 'will not get better'. Fresh from helping broker a truce between Israel and Iran after 12 days of fighting, Mr Trump is reportedly pushing for a breakthrough in Gaza where Israel's air and ground assault is about to complete 21 months. The ceasefire deal, apparently months in the making, will represent a major diplomatic milestone if it comes through. But there is no sign that Hamas is ready to agree to the terms laid down by the US and Israel. Mr Trump made the announcement days before hosting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House. The president has reportedly been ramping up pressure on both Israel and Hamas to finalise a ceasefire and hostage deal. 'My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,' he said on his Truth Social platform, adding that Qatari and Egyptian officials would deliver the final proposal. 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better. IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.' The specific terms that Israel may have agreed to remain unclear. Mr Trump's announcement came the same day Israeli strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer reportedly met US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. They reportedly discussed a revised ceasefire and hostage exchange proposal put forward by Qatar. According to a senior Israeli official quoted by Axios, Mr Dermer told Mr Witkoff Israel accepted the Qatari plan and was ready to start indirect negotiations with Hamas to finalise the agreement. The draft agreement proposes a 60-day ceasefire, during which Israel and Hamas will negotiate a permanent end to the war as well as a framework for post-war governance in Gaza. Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 56,647 people and injured 134,105, according to the Gaza's health ministry, and left almost the entire population of 2.2 million displaced from their homes and on the brink of starvation. Israel launched the air and ground assault in October 2023 after 1,139 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage during a Hamas attack.
