Israeli airstrikes kill 33 as Gaza truce talks advance

The latest wave of strikes comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to travel to Washington for White House talks aimed at advancing ceasefire negotiations.

Meanwhile, an Israeli official said the country’s security cabinet approved the delivery of humanitarian aid to northern Gaza, where residents face severe food shortages. The official, who spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to brief the media, declined to provide further details.

In a separate development, Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for launching ballistic missiles at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport overnight. However, the Israeli military reported intercepting the missiles.

U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed a plan for an initial 60-day ceasefire, which would include a partial release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for increased humanitarian aid into Gaza. The proposal envisions further talks to reach a comprehensive end to the 21-month conflict.

Dozens of Gaza Targets Hit

According to Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of Gaza City's Shifa Hospital, 20 people were killed and 25 injured when Israeli strikes hit two houses in the area.

In southern Gaza’s Muwasi region, where many displaced families live in makeshift tents, airstrikes killed 13 more Palestinians, officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis confirmed. Five of the victims were members of the same family, the hospital added.

While the Israeli military did not comment on specific strikes, it said its forces targeted 130 sites across Gaza in the past day. These included Hamas command centers, storage facilities, weapons depots, and rocket launchers. The military also claimed to have killed several militants in northern Gaza.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a deadly attack on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

Israel's military response has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians so far, with over half of the casualties being women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, under Hamas rule, does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths. Despite this, the U.N. and international organizations consider its figures the most credible source for casualty data.

Ceasefire Negotiations Continue

The renewed strikes come as ceasefire discussions appear to be progressing. Netanyahu’s office announced that an Israeli delegation would travel to Qatar on Sunday for indirect negotiations, though it accused Hamas of demanding “unacceptable” amendments to the current proposal.

The Qatar talks are scheduled just before Netanyahu’s planned Monday visit to Washington for a meeting with U.S. President Trump to further discuss the ceasefire framework. It remains uncertain whether a deal will be finalized ahead of the White House talks.

Hamas is demanding firm guarantees that any temporary ceasefire will lead to a complete end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Previous rounds of negotiations have faltered over Hamas’ insistence on such assurances, while Netanyahu has repeatedly stated Israel would resume military operations until Hamas is fully dismantled, reports UNB.