Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip continued without pause on Sunday, fueling mounting concerns that both regional and international ceasefire initiatives may falter, as Palestinian casualties surged and confrontations intensified on multiple fronts.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that 88 Palestinians were killed and 365 injured in the past 24 hours alone, bringing the total death toll since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023, to 56,500, with 133,419 others wounded.
Amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, sources close to Hamas confirmed the death of “Abu Omar al-Suri,” a member of the group’s military council, in an Israeli air raid south of Gaza City. While not widely known among Gaza’s civilian population, activists noted that the Syrian-born commander played a key strategic role within the Hamas military structure.
On the ground, Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, announced it had targeted four Israeli engineering vehicles with “Yasin-105” projectiles east of Khan Younis, reportedly causing fatalities and injuries among Israeli forces. The group said helicopters were deployed to evacuate casualties. Simultaneously, Islamic Jihad’s military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, claimed responsibility for destroying an Israeli military vehicle in Abasan al-Kabira using a powerful roadside bomb.
The Israeli military, through Army Radio, confirmed the death of a soldier from the 601st Combat Engineering Battalion during clashes in northern Gaza early Sunday. The military noted that 30 soldiers have been killed since the conflict resumed in March, with 21 fatalities attributed to explosive devices.
Despite the intensifying violence, diplomatic efforts persist. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari stated that Doha continues to work with international mediators to leverage the recent Iran-Israel truce as a pathway to a Gaza ceasefire. “This moment could be an opportunity not to be missed,” Al-Ansari told AFP, cautioning that failure to act could further derail peace prospects.
In Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held talks with EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process Christophe Bigot to review developments in Gaza. A statement from Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Abdelatty underscored ongoing coordination with Qatar and the United States to push for a ceasefire, enable a prisoner exchange, and facilitate the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid.
Abdelatty warned of the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reiterated Egypt’s categorical rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians. He added that Egypt intends to host a reconstruction and recovery conference once a truce is achieved.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders to residents of Gaza City and northern regions, instructing them to move south toward the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis. Multiple neighborhoods and refugee camps were listed under the evacuation directive, as the war enters its ninth month.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that over 400 severely malnourished Palestinians were killed in the past month alone, amid the implementation of a new US-Israeli aid distribution mechanism. The agency described the deteriorating humanitarian landscape as “a killing field.”
In Jerusalem, tensions escalated as Israeli settlers, under police protection, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and performed religious rituals. Hamas denounced the move as a “serious escalation” and called on Arab and Muslim nations to take urgent action to defend the holy site. The group also urged Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and inside Israel to resist what it described as efforts to Judaize Al-Aqsa.
Elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces carried out raids in Bethlehem, Masafer Yatta, and the refugee camps of al-Arroub and al-Fawwar, detaining several individuals.
US President Donald Trump commented on the crisis via his Truth Social platform, writing, “Make a deal in Gaza. Bring the hostages home!”
Meanwhile, Israeli military censors blocked publication of information regarding what was described as a “serious security incident” in Gaza. Both the Qassam Brigades and Al-Quds Brigades announced joint operations targeting Israeli forces and military vehicles in Khan Younis and other parts of the Strip, further intensifying uncertainty and raising the potential for wider regional escalation.
