DOHA: Israeli forces carried out new deadly bombings in Gaza on Wednesday, as international mediators prepared to broker a short-term ceasefire to free hostages and open access for crucial humanitarian aid to the besieged territory.
News of the potential breakthrough in ceasefire talks came a day after an Israeli air strike on a Gaza residential block killed nearly 100 people and triggered international condemnation.
US, Qatari, and Egyptian officials have been engaged in extensive negotiations with Israel and Hamas to secure a ceasefire. The latest round of talks, which took place Sunday and Monday in Doha, involved high-level discussions between Mossad chief David Barnea, CIA Director Bill Burns, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.
According to Western media reports, the diplomats are now working on a proposal for a “short-term” truce lasting less than a month, conditional on an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel and increased humanitarian aid for Gaza.
The recent talks mark what could be a critical breakthrough. “US officials believe that if a short-term deal can be reached, it could lead to a more permanent agreement,” according to media reports.
Meanwhile, civilian casualties are mounting. A strike on Tuesday in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza demolished a residential building, killing at least 93 people, including many children and women, as reported by Gaza’s civil defence agency.
The US State Department condemned the attack, calling it “a horrifying incident with a horrifying result” and urged Israel to provide an explanation for the high civilian toll.
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The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has recorded a total of seven massacres in Gaza over the past week alone. UNOCHA reported that only two out of 20 health service centers and two hospitals, Kamal Adwan and Al Awda, remain partially operational, severely restricting access to essential health services.
Food supplies are also running dangerously low, with 80 percent of Gaza’s population—approximately 1.7 million people—unable to receive rations due to supply chain breakdowns.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing more than 43,163 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry. The United Nations has declared these figures as reliable.
Israeli forces continued operations on Wednesday, conducting targeted strikes in Khan Yunis. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, three civilians, including a young girl, were killed in a separate strike on a home in Khan Yunis, with two additional fatalities reported in Deir el-Balah.
