GAZA CITY (BN24) — Israel maintained a steady wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, just hours after Hamas announced its readiness to enter immediate negotiations over a U.S.-brokered proposal for a 60-day ceasefire — a move that has sparked renewed international hope for a pause in the 21-month-long conflict.
The announcement from Hamas, made Saturday afternoon, indicated the militant group’s willingness to engage with a peace framework backed by Washington. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that a delegation would travel to Qatar on Sunday to continue indirect negotiations. However, his office warned that Hamas’ proposed amendments to the draft deal remain unacceptable to Israel.
Despite the diplomatic movement, the toll on civilians continued. At least 24 Palestinians were killed Saturday, according to Gaza health officials, including 10 people who had gathered seeking humanitarian aid. Airstrikes targeted multiple locations, including tent encampments in the southern coastal area of al-Mawasi, where seven people — among them a Palestinian doctor and three of his children — were reportedly killed. Additional strikes claimed lives in Bani Suheila and Khan Younis.
The Israel Defense Forces did not issue an immediate statement about the attacks.
Meanwhile, violence also targeted international relief workers. Two American contractors working with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) were injured in a grenade attack at a food distribution site in southern Gaza. GHF, which operates independently of the UN and began delivering aid last month, has been criticized for safety issues and sidelining traditional aid groups.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce blamed Hamas for the attack, posting on X, “This act of violence against the people actually bringing relief to Gazans lays bare the depravity of Hamas.”
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to worsen, with fuel shortages now threatening a total collapse of NGO operations, health services, and communications infrastructure. “We’re down to about half a day’s supply. When that’s gone, everything shuts down,” said one aid worker in Deir al-Balah.
Since the collapse of a previous truce in March, Israel has enforced an 11-week blockade on Gaza, restricting the flow of food and medicine. Fuel remains entirely banned, and most remaining stockpiles are trapped in combat zones or under Israeli control.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Sunday. Trump, who has expressed his desire for the war to end, has hinted that a ceasefire deal could be announced during the visit. According to drafts of the proposal seen by The Guardian, Trump would personally unveil any ceasefire agreement — possibly in the coming days.
Still, Hamas officials insist they need assurances that a temporary truce would evolve into a permanent cessation of hostilities and a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza. Disagreements also persist over who would oversee aid distribution. Hamas opposes continued GHF operations, while Israel seeks to prevent aid from being handled by the UN or foreign governments.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to the region to finalize negotiations. However, Israeli media report that separate delegations will visit both Qatar and Egypt, raising the likelihood of further delays.
The war, which began with a surprise cross-border Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 that left 1,200 people dead and 251 abducted, has led to immense casualties. Israel’s military response has resulted in more than 57,000 deaths in Gaza, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, whose figures are regarded as credible by the UN and many Western nations.
theguardian.com
