43 Killed in Israeli Strikes Stoking Stalemate in Truce Negotiations

Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that Israeli airstrikes on Sunday resulted in the deaths of over 40 Palestinians, including casualties at a marketplace and a water distribution site, as ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas reached an impasse.

 

Representatives from Israel and the Palestinian militant faction have spent a week attempting to broker a provisional truce to cease 21 months of relentless conflict in the Gaza Strip.

 

However, on Saturday, each party accused the other of obstructing efforts to secure an accord during indirect discussions in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

 

On the ground, civil defense agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal stated that at least 43 individuals perished in the latest Israeli strikes, with 11 fatalities occurring when a marketplace in Gaza City was struck.

 

Elsewhere, eight children were among the 10 casualties of a drone strike at a water point in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza, Bassal reported.

 

Israel’s military cited a technical issue for that strike, indicating its target was an affiliate of Hamas, Islamic Jihad.

 

“Due to a technical error with the munition, it landed meters away from the intended target,” a statement read. “The incident is under investigation.”

 

Casualty reports are being scrutinized, it added.

 

Khaled Rayyan recounted to AFP being awakened by the sound of two formidable explosions following a house strike in Nuseirat.

 

“Our neighbor and his children were trapped beneath the debris,” he said.

 

Another resident, Mahmud al-Shami, implored negotiators to secure a cessation of hostilities.

 

“What has befallen us is unprecedented in the annals of humanity,” he lamented. “Enough.”

 

The Israeli military, having recently escalated operations across Gaza, declared that in the past 24 hours, the air force “attacked over 150 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip.”

 

It released aerial footage purportedly showing fighter jets striking Hamas targets around Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, depicting ground explosions and dense smoke rising skyward.

 

Media constraints in Gaza and challenges in accessing numerous areas prevent AFP from independently verifying casualties and information provided by the civil defense agency and other entities.

 

The conflict was ignited by Hamas’s assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in 1,219 fatalities, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.

 

Of the 251 individuals abducted by militants on that day, 49 remain captive in Gaza, with 27 declared deceased by the Israeli military.

 

Hamas-administered Gaza’s health ministry states that at least 58,026 Palestinians, largely civilians, have perished in Israel’s retaliatory campaign. The UN regards these figures as credible.

 

UN agencies on Saturday cautioned that fuel shortages have reached “critical levels,” exacerbating conditions for Gaza’s over two million residents.

 

On Sunday, the Handala — a former Norwegian trawler laden with medical supplies, food, and children’s necessities — departed from Sicily.

 

The pro-Palestinian activists aboard aspire to reach Gaza, notwithstanding Israel’s recent detention and deportation of individuals from a prior vessel, the Madleen, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

 

Saturday’s negotiations to finalize a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release were precarious after Israel and Hamas accused each other of impeding a deal.

 

Hamas demands the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, but a Palestinian source familiar with the talks disclosed that Israel proposed plans to retain troops in over 40 percent of the territory.

 

The source alleged that Israel intends to relocate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to southern Gaza “preparing for their forced displacement to Egypt or other nations.”

 

A senior Israeli official asserted that Israel has shown willingness “to exhibit flexibility in the negotiations, while Hamas remains obstinate, adhering to positions that hinder mediators from advancing an accord.”

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed readiness to enter discussions for a more enduring cessation of hostilities once a provisional truce is established, contingent upon Hamas disarming.

 

Thousands congregated in Tel Aviv, Israel’s coastal hub, on Saturday to advocate for the hostages’ release.

 

“The window of opportunity… is open now and it won’t be for long,” remarked former captive Eli Sharabi.