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Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Appeals and negotiations won't make Israel stop starving Gaza
On July 17, the Israeli army bombed the sole Catholic church in Gaza, killing three people and injuring at least 10. The parish priest, Gabriele Romanelli, who used to have almost daily calls with the late Pope Francis, was among the wounded. After the attack, there were statements of condemnation. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called it 'unacceptable'. Pope Leo said he was 'deeply saddened' by it – a statement many saw as 'vague' and 'cowardly'. The Israeli government was quick to declare it 'regretted' the attack. Amid the global outrage, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem was able to negotiate for church officials to visit the Christian community, deliver limited food and medicine to both Christian and Muslim families, and evacuate some of the injured for treatment outside Gaza. These humanitarian actions, while welcomed by those in dire need in Gaza, are yet another sign of international failure. Why must the delivery of food, water and medicine be 'earned' through negotiation? Why are basic rights enshrined in international law subject to political bargaining? Palestinians deeply appreciate the church leaders' efforts. Their actions reflect compassion and moral clarity. But such steps should not be necessary. Under international humanitarian law, occupying powers have binding obligations to the people under their control. Securing access to food, water, medicine and critical services cannot be charitable favours – they are legal duties. The 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention and the 1907 Hague Regulations clearly state that civilians in occupied territory must be protected and provided with essential services, especially when the occupying power controls access to borders, infrastructure and life-sustaining resources. Blocking or delaying aid isn't just inhumane – it amounts to a war crime. International law also forbids the occupying power from forcibly transferring the local population or settling its own citizens on occupied land – practices that Israel continues in Gaza and the West Bank with impunity. The occupier must ensure uninterrupted humanitarian access free from delay, political conditions or coercive trade-offs. Israel has failed to comply on all these counts. But instead of facing consequences for its use of collective punishment, starvation tactics and attacks on civilian infrastructure – churches, hospitals, bakeries, schools – Israel receives concessions in exchange for promising to comply with basic legal norms. These 'deals' are then spun as diplomatic 'successes' by the powers that engage in them. During a recent lecture in Amman, the European Union's ambassador to Jordan, Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas, revealed as much. According to him, EU 'discussions' about taking action on Israel's failure to comply with human rights provisions of the EU-Israel partnership agreement led to 'effective political pressure'. As a result, Israel 'agreed' to allow increased food and aid deliveries, fuel for electricity and desalination, infrastructure repairs, the reopening of humanitarian corridors through Egypt and Jordan, and access for UN aid workers and observers. This agreement led to the shelving of 10 proposed sanctions by the EU. Amnesty International described the move as a 'cruel and unlawful betrayal' of its stated principles. The problem with this 'deal' is that Israel is failing to implement it, just like with all others before it. According to EU sources quoted in the media, Israel allows just 80 trucks per day to go in, when Gaza needs more than 500. Whether 80 trucks indeed enter and how much of this aid actually reaches its intended recipients is unclear. Gangs regularly attack aid convoys, and the Israeli army shoots at anyone trying to protect these trucks from looters. Various agencies and organisations are ringing alarm bells about the epidemic of malnutrition killing children on a daily basis. Famine is real even if the UN, under pressure, is not yet willing to declare it. Meanwhile, Israeli forces and foreign mercenaries continue to kill people seeking aid at distribution sites operated by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which was set up to take away the functions of United Nations agencies, most notably UNRWA, its aid agency for Palestinian refugees. Nearly 900 people have been killed at these sites since GHF's operations began in late May. If the EU as a whole will not act, individual member states still bear legal responsibility. At a minimum, European countries should suspend arms transfers, ban trade with illegal settlements and end cooperation with institutions complicit in the occupation and apartheid. These are not optional political stances. They are legal obligations. And this applies to the rest of the world. The danger of appealing to Israel to allow in aid instead of forcing it to do so through sanctions is clear: When war crimes are overlooked in exchange for temporary relief, impunity becomes normalised. Starvation becomes an acceptable weapon of war. Civilian lives turn into bargaining chips. The international community – including the EU, church institutions and world leaders – must continue to extend compassion and aid. But this must not replace justice. Mercy should be paired with resolve: Israel must be held to its legal and moral obligations. Palestinians – Christian and Muslim – must not be treated as pawns but as human beings entitled to dignity, safety and peace. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Two dead after Israeli airstrike hits Gaza's only Catholic church
An Israeli airstrike hit Gaza's only Catholic church, killing two people and wounding several others, including the priest who spoke to Pope Francis every day for the last 18 months before his death. A shell struck the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza on Wednesday, which has been serving as a shelter for hundreds of Palestinians amid the war. Among the injured was Rev. Gabriele Romanelli, the man who took the late pontiff's phone calls every day to update him on the situation in Gaza, according to the Vatican. Advertisement 6 Rev. Gabriele Romanelli, who spoke to Pope Francis everyday before his death, was among the injured after an Israeli shell hit his Church in Gaza. REUTERS 6 The Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza held a service for the two people killed in Wednesday's strike. AFP via Getty Images Since the war began following Hamas' terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023, the church compound has taken in more than 600 Christians and Muslims living in Gaza, including dozens of children with disabilities, according to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Advertisement The Christian church said the building had suffered significant damage. Targeting the building 'is a blatant affront to human dignity and a grave violation of the sanctity of life and the inviolability of religious sites, which are meant to serve as safe havens during times of war,' the Jerusalem-based church said in a statement. 6 The injured were rushed to the nearby Al-Ahli Hospital for treatment. AFP via Getty Images 6 The cross still stood on the church after a shell struck and damaged its roof. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Pope Leo XIV said he was 'deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack″ and reaffirmed that the Vatican remains close to Romanelli and those taking refuge at the church. The American pope once again called for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, where Israel and Hamas forces have fought for 650 days, with the current peace talks bearing no fruit. The Holy Family Catholic Church's 60-year-old janitor and an 84-year-old woman were the latest casualties in the war, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the dead and injured. 6 The church has taken hundreds of Christians and Muslims refuge since the war in Gaza began. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Fadel Naem, the hospital's acting director, said both the areas around the church and medical center have been struck repeatedly in the last week. While the Israeli military has defended bombing civilian infrastructure as a necessity to rout out Hamas, the Jewish state's foreign minister issued a rare apology after the church was hit. 'Israel expresses deep sorrow over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualty,' the ministry said in a statement. 6 Smoke billows over the ruined Gaza strip following the latest Israeli airstrikes on Thursday. AFP via Getty Images The Israel Defense Forces said it was also aware of the damage and is currently investigating the strike. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni slammed Israel for the deadly shelling, describing the attack on the church as emblematic of its bombardment campaign across Gaza that continues to claim civilian lives. 'The attacks on the civilian population that Israel has been demonstrating for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude,' she said. With Post wires
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Israeli strikes kill 27 in Gaza, three die in church late pope often spoke to
CAIRO/OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli forces killed at least 27 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including three people who died in a strike on a church that late Pope Francis used to speak to regularly, medics and church officials said. Eight men tasked with protecting aid trucks were reported among the dead in airstrikes that were carried out while mediators continued ceasefire talks in Doha. A U.S. official said this week the talks were going well but two officials from the Palestinian group Hamas told Reuters there had been no breakthrough as the Israeli military continued to pummel Gaza. Two women and one man died and several people were wounded in a strike by the Israeli army on Gaza's Holy Family Church, said the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees the small parish. 'The Latin Patriarchate strongly condemns this tragedy and this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place,' a statement by the Patriarchate said, adding that the victims had turned to the church compound as a safe haven 'after their homes, possessions, and dignity had already been stripped away'. 'This horrific war must come to a complete end,' it said. Photos released by the church showed its roof had been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and that windows had been broken. Hamas says Israel wants to keep military control of Gaza Father Gabriele Romanelli, an Argentine who used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was lightly injured in the attack. TV footage showed him sitting receiving treatment at Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza, with a bandage around his lower right leg. Pope Leo said in a statement that he was 'deeply saddened' by the loss of life and renewed his appeal for an immediate ceasefire, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said attacks on civilians were unacceptable. The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident. Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement on X that the results of the investigation would be published. It also said the country did not target churches or religious sites and regretted harm to them or civilians. Israel has been trying to eradicate Hamas in Gaza in a military campaign. Palestinian medics said one airstrike on Thursday had killed a man, his wife and their five children in Jabalia in northern Gaza, and that another in the north had killed eight men who had been handed responsibility for protecting aid trucks. Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says 20 people killed in an incident in Khan Younis Three people were killed in an airstrike in central Gaza and four in Zeitoun in eastern Gaza, medics said. Ceasefire talks Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have hosted more than 10 days of talks on a proposed U.S. 60-day truce. As part of the potential deal, 10 hostages held in Gaza would be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release detained Palestinians. The exact number is not clear. A Hamas source with knowledge of the matter said Israel had presented new maps to the mediators, pledging to pull the army further back than had previously been offered. The source said this partially met Hamas' demands, but was still insufficient. Disputes also remain over aid delivery mechanisms into Gaza, and guarantees that any eventual truce would lead to ending the war, said the two other Hamas officials who spoke to Reuters. Israel has told the mediators it is willing to drop its demand to maintain a military presence along the so-called Morag Corridor in southern Gaza during a ceasefire and is prepared to show flexibility regarding the size of the security buffer it would retain near the Israeli border, Israeli media reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately comment on the reports. On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were going well. A Palestinian official close to the talks said such optimistic comments were 'empty of substance.' Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Two die in church as Israeli strikes kill 22 in Gaza
Israeli forces have killed at least 22 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip, including two people who died in a strike on a church that late Pope Francis used to speak to regularly. Eight men tasked with protecting aid trucks were reported among the dead in air strikes that were carried out while mediators continued ceasefire talks in Doha. A US official said this week the talks were going well but two officials from the Palestinian militant group Hamas told Reuters there had been no breakthrough as the Israeli military continued to pummel Gaza. A man and a woman died, and several people were wounded on Thursday in "an apparent strike by the Israeli army" on Gaza's Holy Family Church, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement. "We pray that their souls rest (in peace) and for an end to this barbaric war. Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians," said the Patriarchate, which oversees the only Catholic church in the enclave. Photos released by the church showed its roof had been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and that windows had been broken. Father Gabriele Romanelli, an Argentine who used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was lightly injured in the attack. TV footage showed him sitting receiving treatment at Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza, with a bandage around his lower right leg. "The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement. Pope Leo was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life and renewed his appeal for an immediate ceasefire, the Vatican said. The Israel Defence Forces said it was aware of reports of casualties and was reviewing the incident, adding it made "every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them". Israel has been trying to eradicate Hamas in Gaza in a military campaign that began after the group's deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and has caused widespread hunger and privation in the tiny enclave. Palestinian medics said one air strike on Thursday had killed a man, his wife and their five children in Jabalia in northern Gaza, and another in the north had killed eight men who had been handed responsibility for protecting aid trucks. Three people were killed in an air strike in central Gaza and four in Zeitoun in eastern Gaza, medics said. Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have hosted more than 10 days of talks on a proposed US 60-day truce. As part of the potential deal, 10 hostages held in Gaza would be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release detained Palestinians. The exact number is not clear. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were going well. A Palestinian official close to the talks said such optimistic comments were "empty of substance". Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Almost 1650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1200 killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, according to Israeli tallies. Israeli forces have killed at least 22 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip, including two people who died in a strike on a church that late Pope Francis used to speak to regularly. Eight men tasked with protecting aid trucks were reported among the dead in air strikes that were carried out while mediators continued ceasefire talks in Doha. A US official said this week the talks were going well but two officials from the Palestinian militant group Hamas told Reuters there had been no breakthrough as the Israeli military continued to pummel Gaza. A man and a woman died, and several people were wounded on Thursday in "an apparent strike by the Israeli army" on Gaza's Holy Family Church, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement. "We pray that their souls rest (in peace) and for an end to this barbaric war. Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians," said the Patriarchate, which oversees the only Catholic church in the enclave. Photos released by the church showed its roof had been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and that windows had been broken. Father Gabriele Romanelli, an Argentine who used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was lightly injured in the attack. TV footage showed him sitting receiving treatment at Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza, with a bandage around his lower right leg. "The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement. Pope Leo was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life and renewed his appeal for an immediate ceasefire, the Vatican said. The Israel Defence Forces said it was aware of reports of casualties and was reviewing the incident, adding it made "every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them". Israel has been trying to eradicate Hamas in Gaza in a military campaign that began after the group's deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and has caused widespread hunger and privation in the tiny enclave. Palestinian medics said one air strike on Thursday had killed a man, his wife and their five children in Jabalia in northern Gaza, and another in the north had killed eight men who had been handed responsibility for protecting aid trucks. Three people were killed in an air strike in central Gaza and four in Zeitoun in eastern Gaza, medics said. Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have hosted more than 10 days of talks on a proposed US 60-day truce. As part of the potential deal, 10 hostages held in Gaza would be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release detained Palestinians. The exact number is not clear. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were going well. A Palestinian official close to the talks said such optimistic comments were "empty of substance". Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Almost 1650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1200 killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, according to Israeli tallies. Israeli forces have killed at least 22 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip, including two people who died in a strike on a church that late Pope Francis used to speak to regularly. Eight men tasked with protecting aid trucks were reported among the dead in air strikes that were carried out while mediators continued ceasefire talks in Doha. A US official said this week the talks were going well but two officials from the Palestinian militant group Hamas told Reuters there had been no breakthrough as the Israeli military continued to pummel Gaza. A man and a woman died, and several people were wounded on Thursday in "an apparent strike by the Israeli army" on Gaza's Holy Family Church, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement. "We pray that their souls rest (in peace) and for an end to this barbaric war. Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians," said the Patriarchate, which oversees the only Catholic church in the enclave. Photos released by the church showed its roof had been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and that windows had been broken. Father Gabriele Romanelli, an Argentine who used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was lightly injured in the attack. TV footage showed him sitting receiving treatment at Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza, with a bandage around his lower right leg. "The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement. Pope Leo was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life and renewed his appeal for an immediate ceasefire, the Vatican said. The Israel Defence Forces said it was aware of reports of casualties and was reviewing the incident, adding it made "every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them". Israel has been trying to eradicate Hamas in Gaza in a military campaign that began after the group's deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and has caused widespread hunger and privation in the tiny enclave. Palestinian medics said one air strike on Thursday had killed a man, his wife and their five children in Jabalia in northern Gaza, and another in the north had killed eight men who had been handed responsibility for protecting aid trucks. Three people were killed in an air strike in central Gaza and four in Zeitoun in eastern Gaza, medics said. Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have hosted more than 10 days of talks on a proposed US 60-day truce. As part of the potential deal, 10 hostages held in Gaza would be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release detained Palestinians. The exact number is not clear. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were going well. A Palestinian official close to the talks said such optimistic comments were "empty of substance". Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Almost 1650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1200 killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, according to Israeli tallies. Israeli forces have killed at least 22 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip, including two people who died in a strike on a church that late Pope Francis used to speak to regularly. Eight men tasked with protecting aid trucks were reported among the dead in air strikes that were carried out while mediators continued ceasefire talks in Doha. A US official said this week the talks were going well but two officials from the Palestinian militant group Hamas told Reuters there had been no breakthrough as the Israeli military continued to pummel Gaza. A man and a woman died, and several people were wounded on Thursday in "an apparent strike by the Israeli army" on Gaza's Holy Family Church, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement. "We pray that their souls rest (in peace) and for an end to this barbaric war. Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians," said the Patriarchate, which oversees the only Catholic church in the enclave. Photos released by the church showed its roof had been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and that windows had been broken. Father Gabriele Romanelli, an Argentine who used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was lightly injured in the attack. TV footage showed him sitting receiving treatment at Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza, with a bandage around his lower right leg. "The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement. Pope Leo was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life and renewed his appeal for an immediate ceasefire, the Vatican said. The Israel Defence Forces said it was aware of reports of casualties and was reviewing the incident, adding it made "every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them". Israel has been trying to eradicate Hamas in Gaza in a military campaign that began after the group's deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and has caused widespread hunger and privation in the tiny enclave. Palestinian medics said one air strike on Thursday had killed a man, his wife and their five children in Jabalia in northern Gaza, and another in the north had killed eight men who had been handed responsibility for protecting aid trucks. Three people were killed in an air strike in central Gaza and four in Zeitoun in eastern Gaza, medics said. Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have hosted more than 10 days of talks on a proposed US 60-day truce. As part of the potential deal, 10 hostages held in Gaza would be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release detained Palestinians. The exact number is not clear. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were going well. A Palestinian official close to the talks said such optimistic comments were "empty of substance". Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Almost 1650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1200 killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, according to Israeli tallies.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Israeli strikes kill 22 in Gaza, two die in church late pope often spoke to
CAIRO/JERUSALEM, July 17 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed at least 22 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including two people who died in a strike on a church that late Pope Francis used to speak to regularly, medics and church officials said. Eight men tasked with protecting aid trucks were reported among the dead in airstrikes that were carried out while mediators continued ceasefire talks in Doha. A U.S. official said this week the talks were going well but two officials from the Palestinian militant group Hamas told Reuters there had been no breakthrough as the Israeli military continued to pummel Gaza. A man and a woman died, and several people were wounded in "an apparent strike by the Israeli army" on Gaza's Holy Family Church, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement. "We pray that their souls rest (in peace) and for an end to this barbaric war. Nothing can justify the targeting of innocent civilians," said the Patriarchate, which oversees the church. Photos released by the church showed its roof had been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and that windows had been broken. Father Gabriele Romanelli, an Argentine who used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was lightly injured in the attack. TV footage showed him sitting receiving treatment at Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza, with a bandage around his lower right leg. "The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement. Pope Leo was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life and renewed his appeal for an immediate ceasefire, the Vatican said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was aware of reports of casualties and was reviewing the incident. "The IDF makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian structures, including religious sites, and regrets any damage caused to them," it said. Israel has been trying to eradicate Hamas in Gaza in a military campaign that began after the group's deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and has caused widespread hunger and privation in the tiny enclave. Palestinian medics said one airstrike on Thursday had killed a man, his wife and their five children in Jabalia in northern Gaza, and that another in the north had killed eight men who had been handed responsibility for protecting aid trucks. Three people were killed in an airstrike in central Gaza and four in Zeitoun in eastern Gaza, medics said. Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have hosted more than 10 days of talks on a proposed U.S. 60-day truce. As part of the potential deal, 10 hostages held in Gaza would be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release detained Palestinians. The exact number is not clear. A Hamas source with knowledge of the matter said Israel had presented new maps to the mediators, pledging to pull the army further back than had previously been offered. The source said this partially met Hamas' demands, but was still insufficient. Disputes also remain over aid delivery mechanisms into Gaza, and guarantees that any eventual truce would lead to ending the war, said the two other Hamas officials who spoke to Reuters. Israel has told the mediators it is willing to drop its demand to maintain a military presence along the so-called Morag Corridor in southern Gaza during a ceasefire and is prepared to show flexibility regarding the size of the security buffer it would retain near the Israeli border, Israeli media reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately comment on the reports. On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza were going well. A Palestinian official close to the talks said such optimistic comments were "empty of substance." Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Almost 1,650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1,200 killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, according to Israeli tallies.
