Ceasefire Talks Advance Amid Ongoing Strikes and Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

U.S.-led efforts toward a ceasefire in Gaza gained momenm Saturday, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announcing that a negotiating team will travel to Qatar on Sunday, even as fresh airstrikes killed at least 24 Palestinians and injured American aid workers amid growing humanitarian desperation. The announcement follows Hamas’ “positive” response to the latest U.S. proposal for a 60-day truce. However, Israel’s statement noted that Hamas is still seeking “unacceptable” changes. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has actively pushed for an agreement, will host Netanyahu at the White House on Monday to further discuss the ceasefire deal.

Inside Gaza, 14 Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and another 10 were killed while seeking food aid, according to hospital officials. Two American aid workers with the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) were also injured in an attack at a food distribution site in Khan Younis. The GHF attributed the grenade attack to Hamas, though no evidence was presented. Displaced Palestinians expressed cautious optimism amid the renewed ceasefire efforts. “We are tired. Enough starvation, enough closure of crossing points. We want to sleep in calm where we don’t hear warplanes or drones or shelling,” said Jamalat Wadi, speaking from Deir al-Balah during a scorching heat wave.

Hamas has sought assurances that any initial ceasefire will lead to a total end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Previous negotiations have stalled over Hamas' demands for firm guarantees, while Netanyahu has insisted that fighting must resume until Hamas is eliminated. In Tel Aviv, families of hostages continued to call for a comprehensive agreement. “Send a delegation with a full mandate to bring a comprehensive agreement to end the war and bring everyone back,” said Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, at a rally.

Israeli airstrikes hit the crowded Muwasi area on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast, killing seven people, including a Palestinian doctor and his three children, according to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Four others were killed in Bani Suheila, while three more were killed in separate strikes in Khan Younis. Eight Palestinians were killed near a GHF aid distribution site in Rafah, and one more was killed near a second GHF site in the same city, according to local hospitals. Another death occurred near aid trucks in eastern Khan Younis. GHF denied that the deaths occurred near its distribution points and reiterated that its sites are guarded and located hundreds of meters from Israeli military positions. The Israeli military had no immediate comment but has previously stated that it fires warning shots to disperse crowds and only targets individuals when its troops are threatened.

Two American GHF workers were injured Saturday morning in Khan Younis when grenades were thrown at a food distribution site. The injuries were described as non-life-threatening. Israel’s military said it evacuated the workers for treatment. GHF, a U.S.- and Israeli-backed initiative, began distributing food in Gaza in May with the aim of bypassing U.N.-coordinated aid channels. The foundation’s operations have faced criticism from the U.N. and other humanitarian groups, who argue that the GHF system undermines humanitarian principles and allows Israel to control aid flow. GHF sites are located in southern Gaza and are heavily guarded. Despite this, the Health Ministry and human rights monitors report that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed or wounded trying to access aid, particularly near GHF sites. The U.N. human rights office reported 613 Palestinian deaths in a one-month span related to attempts to obtain aid.

The war, which began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, has led to a devastating Israeli military campaign in Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed — over half of them women and children. While the ministry is under Hamas authority and does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, U.N. agencies and international groups consider its data the most reliable on Gaza war casualties. As ceasefire negotiations continue in Qatar with U.S. and Israeli participation, the humanitarian situation on the ground remains dire, and the outcome of the talks will likely determine the near-term future for Gaza’s civilians.