Local health authorities confirmed on Sunday that Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 100 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip overnight, coinciding with ongoing discussions between mediators and representatives from Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military has not yet commented on its expanded operations in the area, which have reportedly claimed hundreds of lives since Thursday, as preparations for a new ground offensive are underway to achieve “operational control” in parts of Gaza.
Khalil al-Daqran, spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry, told reporters via phone, “We have recorded at least 100 martyrs. Entire families have been erased from civil records due to the Israeli bombardments.”
Since the beginning of March, Israel has restricted the entry of medical supplies, food, and fuel into Gaza in an effort to pressure Hamas into releasing Israeli hostages. Israel has indicated plans that may potentially involve taking full control over Gaza and managing aid distributions.
Hamas has asserted that it will not release the hostages unless there is a ceasefire in place from Israel.
Mediators from Egypt and Qatar, supported by the United States, initiated a new round of indirect ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas yesterday, however, sources close to the talks have reported minimal progress.
A Palestinian official familiar with the discussions in Doha noted, “Hamas has consistently shown flexibility regarding the number of hostages it could release, but the main issue has always been the lack of Israeli commitment to ending the war.”
According to media sources, Hamas has proposed releasing about half of the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a two-month ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
A Hamas official who spoke with reporters stated, “The Israeli stance has not changed; they want their hostages without any commitment to conclude the war.”
Last night, one of the Israeli airstrikes hit a camp for displaced families in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, leading to the deaths of women and children, injuring dozens, and igniting multiple tents.
Hamas condemned the strike as a “new brutal crime” and blamed the U.S. administration for escalating tensions.
Among those killed earlier on Sunday were three journalists and their families. Medical officials reported that another family in northern Gaza lost at least 20 of its members.
Rescue workers confirmed that Zakaria al-Sinwar, the brother of Yahya al-Sinwar, head of Hamas’ political bureau, who was killed by Israeli forces last October, along with three of his children, perished in an airstrike on their tent in central Gaza. Zakaria was a history professor at the Islamic University of Gaza.
The healthcare system in Gaza is nearing collapse due to repeated Israeli attacks on hospitals. The blockade on relief supplies has worsened the hardships faced by Palestinians, leading to widespread hunger, with Israel blaming Hamas for the crisis.
Al-Daqran said, “Hospitals can barely manage the large number of injuries, many of whom are children. There are cases of amputations, and hospitals have been bombed multiple times by the occupiers, suffering from shortages of medical supplies and medications.