Israel has even further ramped up its military campaign in Gaza, increasing airstrikes and ground operations in the territory to preemptively swarm anticipated ceasefire negotiations. The ongoing conflict, which began after a deadly attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel in October 2023, has resulted in catastrophic humanitarian consequences, with Gaza’s Ministry of Health reporting over 57,000 fatalities, predominantly among civilians.
The conflict began when Hamas fighters killed 1,219 Israelis and took captive 251 on the first day of fighting. In response, Israeli forces launched three waves of airstrikes followed by ground offensives. According to United Nations reports, almost 6,500 people have lost their lives in Gaza since the conflict broke out. This tragic loss has deepened an already catastrophic plight for civilians in the region.
On Thursday, one of the IDF’s strikes hit the Mustafa Hafez school in Gaza City. That school, which has been used to shelter displaced persons, was badly hit, killing 12 people and injuring many more. Medics and local officials reported a devastating toll. As many as 90 people, mostly women and children, died overnight and during the day. Furthermore, five UNRWA-registered refugees died en route to locations managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, established recently and supported by the United States and Israel, has been distributing essential food parcels from four hubs secured by Israeli forces since May. Despite the partial lifting of the blockade on Gaza, only limited supplies are reaching those most vulnerable to famine.
As hostilities continue, Israel’s security cabinet convened on Thursday night to deliberate on the next steps regarding a potential ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The political goal of both the Israeli and US governments remains pushing Hamas to disarm. They aim to uproot the group’s leadership from Gaza. On the other hand, Hamas wants assurances for a durable end to violence.
In March, a similar peace deal fell apart. Israel was allowed to get away with this because it failed to honor its own pledge to continue with the second round of talks. The Palestinian leadership rejected the previous proposal which called for a 60-day cessation of hostilities. It seeks to initiate a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and facilitate the release of at least some hostages held by Hamas. Egyptian and Israeli officials involved in the negotiations emphasized one key part of the new deal as groundbreaking. It’s for the release of 10 of the 50 hostages, most of them Israeli citizens, being held in Gaza.
Eli Cohen, Israel’s energy minister, gave the green light for negotiations to go ahead.
“There’s definitely readiness to advance a deal.” – Eli Cohen
On the ground, the clock is ticking amidst a deepening humanitarian crisis. Reports from civilians depict a heartbreaking reality. One woman, who lost relatives in recent strikes, expressed despair:
“We have no life left. Let them just annihilate us so we can finally rest.”
Another grieving mother lamented her losses:
“There’s nothing left for us. My two daughters are gone – and now my niece along with her six children and her husband were burned to death.”