GAZA CITY: The health ministry in Gaza said on Sunday at least 38,584 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ongoing deadliest Israeli bombardment campaign since October 7 last year.
The toll includes 141 deaths reported in the past 24 hours alone, with 88,881 persons wounded in the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip during the more than nine months of conflict.
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging ceasefire efforts with what he described as “heinous massacres” perpetrated by Israeli forces. Hamas condemned the latest Israeli attack in Gaza, which officials in Gaza said resulted in over 100 Palestinian deaths.
One of the deadliest Israeli strikes targeted the Al-Mawasi camp for displaced Palestinians, leaving at least 90 dead and 300 wounded, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Additionally, a makeshift mosque in the Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza was struck, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 people, as reported by the civil defense agency.
The Hamas statement said that in response to the escalating violence, Haniyeh contacted officials in Qatar and Egypt, which are seeking to mediate conflict, as well as Oman and Turkey to discuss the “brutal massacres”.
He criticized Netanyahu’s stance in ceasefire negotiations, alleging that Israeli conditions and actions on the ground were hindering progress towards a truce and prisoner exchange agreement proposed earlier by US President Joe Biden.
“Israeli positions, including new conditions in the ceasefire proposal, coupled with today’s brutal massacres, have obstructed any agreement,” stated Haniyeh in a statement released by Hamas.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire, facilitated by Qatar and Egypt with support from the United States, have encountered significant challenges. Talks were abruptly halted following an Israeli airstrike, which Hamas officials cited as a reason for withdrawing from negotiations.
Haniyeh called on the mediators “to do what is necessary with the American administration and others to stop these Israeli massacres”. Qatar and Egypt have both condemned the Israeli strikes.
A Hamas official on Sunday said the Palestinian group is pulling out of Gaza truce talks, following an Israeli strike. Israel staged a huge bombing raid on a camp for displaced people in southern Gaza on Saturday.
Another senior Hamas official said that the Palestinian group was withdrawing from ceasefire talks because of Israeli “massacres” and the country’s attitude in the truce talks.
Ismail Haniyeh told international mediators of the “decision to halt negotiations due to the occupation’s (Israel) lack of seriousness, continued policy of procrastination and obstruction, and the ongoing massacres against unarmed civilians”, the official said.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), denounced the humanitarian impact of the ongoing conflict, particularly in densely populated areas like Gaza. He refuted claims that residents could easily relocate to safer zones, emphasizing the dire conditions faced by civilians amidst continuous hostilities.
International condemnation of the recent attacks has been widespread, with Egypt’s foreign ministry labeling them as “unacceptable crimes.” Meanwhile, the Israeli military defended its actions, describing the targeted areas as operational compounds rather than civilian shelters.
Hamas expressed willingness to resume talks under conditions of seriousness and commitment from the Israeli government. Meanwhile, Israeli security sources reiterated their intent to continue targeting senior leadership of Hamas, even as diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire persist.
Talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt, with US support, have for months tried but failed to bring a halt to the war in the Gaza Strip.
