As hopes rise for a ceasefire deal in Doha, Israeli airstrikes continued to devastate the Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing dozens and injuring hundreds in one of the deadliest 24-hour periods in recent weeks. The renewed violence came as indirect talks between Hamas and Israel were set to begin in the Qatari capital, offering a potential breakthrough after months of stalled negotiations.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 80 Palestinians were killed and 304 wounded over the past 24 hours, raising the toll since the resumption of hostilities on 18 March to 6,860 killed and 24,220 injured. Since the war erupted on 7 October 2023, the total death toll has reached 57,418, with more than 136,000 injured—making it one of the deadliest military campaigns in the region in recent history.
The latest strikes hit multiple areas, including Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, the Al-Mawasi district west of Khan Younis, and Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in northern Gaza City. Hospital sources confirmed that at least 61 people were killed in these strikes alone.
Amid the escalation, Israeli media reported that two Israeli soldiers were wounded when an anti-tank missile struck a military vehicle in the northern Gaza Strip, in what appears to be a resurgence of resistance operations.
While the violence raged on the ground, attention shifted to the Qatari capital, where indirect talks are taking place under heavy international pressure to break the deadlock. The negotiations, described by officials as “serious,” come ahead of a planned meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday.
On Friday, Hamas announced its readiness to immediately engage in negotiations to implement a US-backed ceasefire framework brokered by Egypt and Qatar. In response, the Israeli government confirmed it would dispatch a delegation to Doha, even as Netanyahu’s office dismissed Hamas’s amendments to the proposal as “unacceptable.” Nonetheless, Netanyahu instructed the team to pursue intensive talks focused on securing a hostage deal.
In a parallel move, Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan early Sunday to expand humanitarian aid distribution across Gaza, including in the hard-hit north. The decision came despite vocal opposition from far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
The cabinet also advanced a controversial proposal to establish “tent cities” in Rafah to house displaced civilians—drawing sharp criticism from humanitarian groups, who warn it could pave the way for large-scale forced displacement.
Meanwhile, the Joint Operations Room of Palestinian resistance factions issued a fierce statement condemning what it described as a “gang” collaborating with Israeli forces in eastern Rafah. The statement named Yasser Abu Shabab as a leader of the group and accused its members of betraying the Palestinian cause.
“They are completely stripped of their Palestinian identity,” the statement read. “They will cling like parasites to the tails of enemy tanks when regret will be too late. The enemy will discard them like worn-out shoes.”
