Israel Intensifies Gaza Strikes as Hamas Leader Visits Cairo/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israeli air and ground strikes on Gaza City killed at least 11 overnight, as Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya headed to Cairo to discuss reviving a U.S.-backed ceasefire. Mediators face deep divisions over military withdrawal and Hamas disarmament. Humanitarian agencies warn of a worsening crisis, with deaths from starvation and malnutrition rising.
Gaza Ceasefire Talks Quick Looks
- At least 11 Palestinians killed overnight in Gaza City strikes.
- Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya arrives in Cairo for renewed mediation.
- Ceasefire proposal centers on a 60-day truce and hostage exchange.
- Gaza’s health ministry reports 89 killed in the past 24 hours.
- Five additional deaths from starvation and malnutrition reported, total now 227.
- Israel plans new offensive to retake Gaza City in October.
- Foreign ministers from 24 countries urge unrestricted aid access.
- Hamas says willing to hand over governance but not disarm before Palestinian statehood.
- Netanyahu vows war will continue until Hamas is eradicated.
- Displacement, hunger, and infrastructure collapse worsening for Gaza’s 2.2 million residents.
Israel Intensifies Gaza Strikes as Hamas Leader Visits Cairo
Deep Look
Gaza City endured another night of heavy bombardment as Israeli planes and tanks targeted eastern neighborhoods, killing at least 11 Palestinians, according to witnesses and medical teams. The strikes come as senior Hamas figure Khalil Al-Hayya travels to Cairo to join renewed efforts at securing a U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement.
The most recent round of indirect negotiations in Qatar collapsed in late July, with both Israel and Hamas blaming each other for the lack of progress. The U.S. proposal under discussion calls for a 60-day truce paired with a hostage release deal, but key disputes remain unresolved.
Escalating Military Plans
Israel has signaled plans to launch a fresh offensive in October aimed at reasserting control over Gaza City — territory it captured shortly after the outbreak of the war in October 2023, before withdrawing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed expansion of military operations has drawn both domestic and international criticism.
The Israeli military chief of staff has warned the plan could jeopardize the lives of remaining hostages and endanger Israeli soldiers. Internationally, critics fear a large-scale assault would worsen the plight of roughly one million Palestinians still in the Gaza City area, many of whom have been displaced multiple times since the war began.
Humanitarian Crisis Worsens
The humanitarian toll in Gaza is mounting. On Tuesday, foreign ministers from 24 nations — including Britain, Canada, Australia, France, and Japan — released a joint statement warning that conditions in the enclave have reached “unimaginable levels.” They called on Israel to permit unrestricted aid deliveries.
Israel maintains that Hamas bears responsibility for hunger in Gaza, accusing the group of diverting aid. Israeli authorities say they have implemented measures to facilitate humanitarian access, such as temporary pauses in fighting and the creation of protected routes for aid convoys.
Still, Gaza’s health ministry reported five more deaths from starvation and malnutrition in the past day, including two children. Since the war began, 227 people — 103 of them children — have died from hunger-related causes, according to the ministry. Israel disputes these figures.
Renewed Talks in Cairo
A Palestinian official familiar with the mediation process said Hamas is prepared to return to the negotiating table. “Hamas believes negotiation is the only way to end the war,” the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Egyptian state-affiliated media confirmed the arrival of a Hamas delegation in Cairo “for consultations on ceasefire talks.”
However, substantial gaps persist. Hamas says it is willing to relinquish governance in Gaza to a non-partisan committee but will not surrender its weapons until a Palestinian state is established. Israel’s government, dominated by Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, insists that Hamas must be eradicated and Gaza brought under full Israeli control.
Civilian Casualties Mount
The Gaza health ministry reported that 89 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours. Overnight strikes on the Zeitoun neighborhood killed seven people, while four more died when an apartment building in central Gaza City was hit.
In southern Gaza, an airstrike on a house in Khan Younis killed five people, including a couple and their child, and another strike on a tent encampment in coastal Mawasi killed four. The Israeli military said it was reviewing reports of these incidents and reiterated that it seeks to minimize civilian harm. It also reported killing dozens of militants in northern Gaza in recent weeks and destroying tunnel networks used by armed groups.
A War Without End
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a deadly cross-border attack into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251, according to Israeli figures. Since then, Israel’s offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-run enclave.
With ceasefire talks stalling, humanitarian needs intensifying, and military escalation looming, both sides appear locked in a cycle of violence that international mediators are struggling to break.
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