Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza as Trump says ceasefire potential “subsequent week”

Israeli strikes throughout Gaza killed at the least 72 individuals from Friday into Saturday morning, officers with the Hamas-run well being ministry mentioned.

Amongst these killed have been 12 individuals close to the Palestine Stadium in Gaza Metropolis, which was sheltering displaced individuals, based on workers at Shifa hospital the place the our bodies have been introduced, the Related Press reported. Greater than 20 our bodies have been taken to Nasser Hospital, based on well being officers. A strike noon Saturday killed 11 individuals on a road in jap Gaza Metropolis, and their our bodies have been taken to Al-Ahli Hospital.

Three kids and their mother and father have been killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi close to the southern metropolis of Khan Younis. They have been struck whereas sleeping, family members mentioned.

“What did these kids do to them? What’s their fault?” mentioned the youngsters’s grandmother, Suad Abu Teima.

The strikes come as President Trump on Friday mentioned there could possibly be a ceasefire settlement between Israel and Hamas inside the subsequent week.

“I believe it is shut,” Mr. Trump instructed reporters within the Oval Workplace when requested in regards to the prospect of a ceasefire within the Gaza Strip. “We expect inside the subsequent week, we’ll get a ceasefire.”

Israel and Hamas haven’t publicly commented on the standing of any potential settlement.

The Trump administration has pushed for a pause in combating since Mr. Trump returned to the White Home in January. Nonetheless, a deal has confirmed elusive to this point. Talks have been on once more, off once more since Israel broke the newest ceasefire in March, persevering with its army marketing campaign in Gaza and furthering the Strip’s dire humanitarian disaster.

Late final month, Mr. Trump’s Center East envoy Steve Witkoff proposed a 60-day ceasefire. Beneath that proposal, Hamas would launch 10 residing hostages and the stays of 18 useless hostages who have been taken to Gaza throughout Hamas’ 2023 assault on Israel, based on a duplicate obtained by CBS Information. Israel would launch 125 “life sentence” prisoners, 1,111 Palestinian detainees and 180 deceased Palestinians as a part of the deal.

Israel supported that proposal, however Hamas mentioned it responded with “some notes and amendments.” Witkoff referred to as the response from Hamas “completely unacceptable” in a Could 31 put up on X.

An official with data of the state of affairs instructed the AP that Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, will arrive in Washington subsequent week for talks on Gaza’s ceasefire, Iran and different topics. The official spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to talk to the media.

Some 50 hostages stay in Gaza, fewer than half of them believed to nonetheless be alive. They have been a part of some 250 hostages taken when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking the 21-month-long struggle.

The struggle has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, based on Gaza’s Hamas-run Well being Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. It says greater than half of the useless have been ladies and youngsters.

There’s hope amongst hostage households that Trump’s involvement in securing the current ceasefire between Israel and Iran may exert extra strain for a deal in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is using a wave of public assist for the Iran struggle and its achievements, and he might really feel he has more room to maneuver towards ending the struggle in Gaza, one thing his far-right governing companions oppose.

Hamas has repeatedly mentioned it’s ready to free all of the hostages in alternate for an finish to the struggle in Gaza. Netanyahu says he’ll solely finish the struggle as soon as Hamas is disarmed and exiled, one thing the group has rejected.

In the meantime, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic state of affairs in Gaza. After blocking all meals for two 1/2 months, Israel has allowed solely a trickle of provides into the territory since mid-Could.

Efforts by the United Nations to distribute the meals have been suffering from armed gangs looting vans and by crowds of determined individuals offloading provides from convoys.

Palestinians have additionally been shot and wounded whereas on their option to get meals at newly shaped support websites, run by the American and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Basis, based on Gaza’s well being officers and witnesses.

Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened hearth at crowds on the roads heading towards the websites. Israel’s army mentioned it was investigating incidents by which civilians had been harmed whereas approaching the websites.