Israeli military operations in Gaza intensified Saturday, killing at least 40 Palestinians in a series of air and drone strikes as a senior Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for renewed ceasefire negotiations.
According to a civil defense official speaking to AFP, an Israeli airstrike targeting the al-Khour family’s home in Gaza’s Sabra neighborhood resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people. Meanwhile, journalists on the ground reported that four Palestinians were killed and several more wounded in another Israeli air raid on Deir el-Balah, located in central Gaza. In southern Gaza’s Khan Younis region, three individuals were killed in a drone attack on the al-Mawasi area, which has been designated a “safe zone.”
The escalation in violence comes amid warnings from international aid organizations about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Relief agencies have sounded alarms over “full-scale famine conditions” developing as Israel’s blockade, now nearing two months, continues to choke off critical supplies.
A high-level Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Saturday, where mediators are working urgently to broker a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. These talks remain fraught, with little progress made since Israel abandoned a January ceasefire accord by imposing a total blockade on Gaza on March 2 and resuming military attacks on March 17.
Hamas has reiterated its willingness to discuss a truce but has firmly rejected Israeli demands for disarmament. Taher al-Nono, a senior Hamas official speaking to Reuters, stated that the group remains open to negotiations aimed at ending the war. “The idea of a truce or its duration is not rejected by us, and we are ready to discuss it within the framework of negotiations,” he said. However, al-Nono was unequivocal in rejecting the disarmament condition, emphasizing, “The weapon of resistance is not negotiable and will remain in our hands as long as the occupation exists.”
Mahmud Mardawi, another senior Hamas official, added that any agreement would need to include binding guarantees to ensure the war’s end. “The occupation can return to war after any partial deal, but it cannot do so with a comprehensive deal and international guarantees,” Mardawi said.
As the fighting rages, humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. Jonathan Whittall, the head of the UN’s humanitarian agency (OCHA) in Gaza, issued a stark warning about the humanitarian disaster unfolding in the enclave. Speaking at a news conference in Gaza City, Whittall said that Israel’s “total and complete blockade” was causing “endless suffering” and that many residents are no longer able to survive.
“The coming days in Gaza are going to be critical. Today, people are not surviving in Gaza. Those that aren’t being killed with bombs and bullets are slowly dying,” Whittall said. He accused parties of weaponizing humanitarian aid by denying it, asserting, “There’s no justification for the denial of humanitarian assistance.”
Whittall further confirmed that the World Food Programme’s stockpiles in Gaza have been exhausted and that no significant food distributions are currently underway. He warned that Gaza is on the brink of “full-scale famine conditions,” although a formal declaration would require additional evidence. OCHA is collaborating with other humanitarian organizations to determine whether the hunger crisis officially meets the criteria for a famine.
The humanitarian situation, coupled with the rising death toll and the collapse of previous ceasefire agreements, underscores the immense challenges facing mediators as they attempt to negotiate an end to the violence.
