Israeli Strikes Kill 62 in Gaza Amid Fragile Ceasefire Talks/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israeli airstrikes killed at least 62 people across Gaza as humanitarian conditions worsen. President Trump signals progress toward a potential ceasefire in the coming week. Food shortages and violence plague civilians desperate for aid in Gaza.
Quick Look:
- Death Toll: At least 62 Palestinians killed in latest strikes
- Ceasefire Talks: Israel and U.S. pursue negotiations to halt conflict
- Humanitarian Crisis: Food scarcity, looting, and shootings plague Gaza aid efforts
Israeli Strikes Kill 62 in Gaza Amid Ceasefire Hopes
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes across Gaza have killed at least 62 people as the battered territory faces deepening humanitarian catastrophe, even as talks inch closer toward a possible ceasefire.
Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said.
“What did these children do to them? What is their fault?” said the children’s grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags.
Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials.
A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. A strike on a gathering at the entrance to the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed two, according to Al-Awda hospital.
The violence comes as U.S. President Donald Trump expressed cautious optimism about brokering a ceasefire deal. “We’re working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of,” he told reporters in the Oval Office Friday.
A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, confirmed Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, is expected in Washington next week for high-level discussions on Gaza, Iran, and broader regional security.
Peace negotiations have repeatedly stalled since Israel resumed its military campaign in March, following a ceasefire breakdown. The conflict was sparked by Hamas’ deadly October 7, 2023 assault on Israel, when militants captured around 250 hostages. Approximately 50 remain in Gaza, though fewer than half are believed to be alive.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 56,000 Palestinians have died during the 21-month-long war, with women and children accounting for more than half of the casualties. The ministry does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its tally.
Some hostage families hope Trump’s recent success in negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and Iran could create momentum for an agreement in Gaza. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoys high public support following the Iran conflict, his far-right coalition partners fiercely oppose concessions to Hamas.
Hamas insists it’s ready to release all hostages if Israel ends the war and withdraws forces from Gaza. Netanyahu, however, demands the group be disarmed and its leadership exiled—terms Hamas has firmly rejected.
Meanwhile, conditions on the ground grow ever more desperate. Israel had fully blocked food shipments into Gaza for two-and-a-half months and has only allowed minimal supplies since mid-May.
Efforts by the United Nations to distribute aid have been repeatedly disrupted by armed gangs looting convoys and throngs of starving civilians seizing supplies.
Palestinians have also been wounded or killed trying to reach new aid distribution sites operated by the American and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Witnesses and Gaza health officials accuse Israeli forces of firing on crowds traveling toward food aid. Israel’s military said it was investigating any incidents in which civilians might have been harmed.
As the death toll climbs, the battered enclave remains gripped by both fear and fragile hope that diplomacy might finally silence the guns.
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