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Arab-Israeli conflicts

Ongoing Conflict in Gaza: Ceasefire Deal Hopes Rise Amid Airstrikes and Criticism

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Hamas has announced its readiness to start talks on a US-sponsored proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, boosting hopes for a deal to pause the killing in Gaza and possibly end the nearly 21-month conflict. Despite a relatively calmer Saturday after days of intense bombardment, 24 Palestinians were killed, including 10 seeking humanitarian aid. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) made no immediate comment on the airstrikes, which struck tents in the Mawasi coastal area, killing seven, including a Palestinian doctor and his three children. A US-sponsored private organisation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has been involved in controversy, with the UN secretary general calling it "inherently unsafe" and the GHF denying the claim, saying it has delivered tens of millions of meals safely.

Key Takeaways:

  • A US-sponsored proposal for a 60-day ceasefire has been put forward, with Hamas announcing its readiness to start talks.
  • Despite a relatively calmer Saturday, 24 Palestinians were killed, including 10 seeking humanitarian aid.
  • The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not commented on the airstrikes, which killed seven people in the Mawasi coastal area, including a Palestinian doctor and his three children.
  • The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has been involved in controversy, with the UN secretary general calling it "inherently unsafe".
  • Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks in shooting or shelling by the IDF while traveling to GHF sites or gathering in large crowds to get aid from convoys brought into Gaza by the UN.
  • Aid workers in Gaza have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, saying that fuel stocks for NGOs are close to running out.
  • Israel imposed an 11-week blockade on Gaza after the most recent ceasefire collapsed in March, partially lifted in April to allow food aid and medical supplies into the territory.
  • Power supplies in Gaza rely primarily on large quantities of diesel for generators, with humanitarian workers warning that supplies are running low.
  • Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, is to meet with the US president, Donald Trump, on Sunday to discuss the proposed deal.
  • Hamas wants greater clarity over guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a permanent end to the war and the eventual withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

Statistics:

  • 1,200 people, mostly civilians, killed during a Hamas-led attack into Israel in October 2023.
  • 57,000 people, mostly civilians, killed by Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza.
  • 50 Palestinian militants remain in Israeli custody, with 251 initially captured.
  • 10 people seeking humanitarian aid killed on Saturday.
  • 24 Palestinians killed in total on Saturday.
  • Hundreds of Palestinians killed in recent weeks in shooting or shelling by the IDF.
  • 57,000 people killed by Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza, according to the territory's ministry of health.

Sources:

  • The Guardian
  • Anadolu/Getty Images
  • UN secretary general, António Guterres
  • Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
  • Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)
  • US president, Donald Trump
  • Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu

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