At least 42 Palestinians were killed in new Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, according to hospital sources. The strikes targeted civilians, including those waiting for food, and injured many more. Among the victims were children and medical workers, including Dr. Musa Hamdan Khafaja, who died in a strike on a camp in al-Mawasi — an area Israel had marked as a “humanitarian zone.”
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 57,268 Palestinians have been killed and 136,000 wounded since the war began on October 7, 2023. More than 1,580 medical workers, including doctors and nurses, have also died. The Israeli attacks have destroyed large parts of Gaza and caused massive displacement and humanitarian suffering.
Meanwhile, Hamas announced its readiness to begin immediate talks on a proposed 60-day ceasefire. The draft deal includes guarantees by U.S. President Donald Trump to oversee a temporary truce and humanitarian aid delivery. Hamas’s ally, Islamic Jihad, also supported the plan but demanded stronger guarantees toward a permanent ceasefire.
The proposed ceasefire plan would allow urgent food and medical aid to enter Gaza through the UN and Red Crescent. Hamas also committed to releasing 10 Israeli hostages alive and handing over the bodies of 18 others on the first day of the truce. Israel would halt all military operations and surveillance for 10 hours daily and reposition troops in northern and southern Gaza.
In a separate development, Hamas’s military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed they attacked Israeli forces near Khan Younis. They reportedly targeted two Merkava tanks and a personnel carrier with explosives and rockets. This escalation comes just ahead of Israeli PM Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to Washington, where Trump is expected to push for a breakthrough.