More than 80 Palestinians killed across Gaza as truce talks begin

Israeli attacks crossed Gaza person killed astatine slightest 82 radical arsenic negotiations betwixt Israel and Hamas towards a ceasefire woody statesman successful Qatar.

On Sunday, astatine slightest 39 radical were killed successful Gaza City alone. A midnight onslaught connected the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood successful the portion besides trapped victims nether debris.

Witnesses person described apocalyptic scenes arsenic neighbours retrieve assemblage parts, including those of children.

Mahmoud al-Sheikh Salama, a subsister of 1 strike, said it took spot astatine 2am (23:00 GMT connected Saturday) portion helium was sleeping.

“We heard a large detonation and soon after, different one. We rushed over… and radical were trapped nether the rubble – 4 families, a ample fig of residents,” helium told Al Jazeera.

“We tried to hunt for survivors and managed to propulsion retired 2 radical live from nether the debris aft astir 3 hours of conflict and breaking through. We got 2 retired live – the remainder were martyred and are inactive trapped.”

Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said Israel’s existent subject escalation successful Gaza is “a chilling and brutal reminder” of the opening weeks of the warfare due to the fact that of the strength and standard of each attack.

“In the span of 2 hours, we person counted astatine slightest 7 aerial strikes crossed the Gaza Strip,” helium said.

“A section assemblage room successful the bluish portion of Deir el-Balah was besides struck and 3 radical were killed, including the main relation down it.”

Attacks adjacent assistance sites

Besides Gaza City, aesculapian sources astatine hospitals told Al Jazeera that astatine slightest 9 Palestinians were killed by Israeli service occurrence adjacent aid organisation centres operated by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) since the morning.

Five were killed adjacent the Netzarim Corridor, located conscionable southbound of Gaza City, which splits the Strip down the middle. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said Israeli forces killed astatine slightest 743 Palestinians successful attacks astatine sites tally by the GHF since precocious May.

The GHF has drawn wide criticism, with aggregate reports that its contractors, arsenic good arsenic Israeli forces, person opened occurrence connected hopeless assistance seekers. Two American contractors were wounded with non-life-threatening injuries connected Saturday during an onslaught connected an assistance site.

“The onslaught – which preliminary accusation indicates was carried retired by 2 assailants who threw 2 grenades astatine the Americans – occurred astatine the decision of an different palmy organisation successful which thousands of Gazans safely received food,” the GHF said.

The United States connected Saturday blamed Hamas for the attack. Gaza’s Government Media Office rejected these accusations.

“We categorically and unequivocally cull the claims issued by the US State Department alleging that the Palestinian absorption threw explosives astatine American unit operating astatine sites tally by the alleged ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – GHF,'” the media bureau said successful a statement.

Possible ceasefire?

Meanwhile, indirect negotiations betwixt Israel and Hamas towards a ceasefire woody successful the Gaza Strip person begun successful Qatar.

“Negotiations are astir implementation mechanisms and hostage exchange, and positions are being exchanged done mediators,” an unnamed authoritative told the AFP quality agency.

US President Donald Trump connected Sunday said that determination is “a bully chance” a Gaza captive merchandise and ceasefire woody could beryllium reached with Hamas this week, “as they’re close”.

Trump told reporters specified a woody meant “quite a fewer hostages” could beryllium released. Trump is acceptable to conscionable Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected Monday astatine the White House.

The US president said past week that Israel has agreed to the conditions for a 60-day ceasefire, and negotiators could conscionable to carve retired a way to yet extremity Israel’s astir 21-month warfare connected Gaza.

On Friday, Hamas said it responded to a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal successful a “positive spirit”.

On Sunday, earlier boarding his formation to Washington, DC, Netanyahu besides said helium believed his discussions with Trump connected Monday would assistance beforehand talks connected a Gaza deal.

“I judge the treatment with President Trump tin surely assistance beforehand these results,” helium said, adding that helium is determined to guarantee the instrumentality of captives held successful Gaza and region the menace of Hamas to Israel.

Analysts, however, accidental that Netanyahu wants to continue the retaliatory warfare connected Gaza until helium tin summation capable governmental leverage to disregard the tribunal cases against him successful Israel and physique capable fashionable enactment to stay the country’s leader.

Netanyahu is connected proceedings for corruption and is inactive wide blamed successful Israeli nine for the information failures that led to Hamas’s deadly onslaught connected October 7, 2023.

“Israel and Netanyahu are not funny successful reaching a ceasefire,” Adnan Hayajneh, a prof of planetary relations astatine Qatar University, told Al Jazeera, adding that determination is simply a “very slim chance” of a ceasefire.

“What Israel wants is clear… a onshore without a people,” Hayajneh said.

“So, Palestinians are fixed 3 choices… starve to death… get killed… [or] permission the land. But Palestinians person truthful acold proven they volition not permission the land, nary substance what.”

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies