Israeli strikes kill at least 140 in Gaza as Netanyahu confirms peace talks with Hamas
The Israeli military has announced the beginning of a fresh offensive in Gaza, killing at least 140 people on Sunday as it entered its second day of ceasefire talks with Hamas in Qatar.
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Israeli officials said the attacks, which mostly targeted hospitals throughout Gaza,“eliminated dozens of terrorists, dismantled terrorist infrastructure sites … and [were] currently being deployed in key positions”.
Medical sources on the ground said at least 140 people, including dozens of women and children, had been killed in overnight strikes on neighbourhoods in the north, centre and south of Gaza.
It comes as Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed peace talks were underway on Sunday as he suggested a deal could be on the horizon.
“Even at this very moment, the negotiation team in Doha is working to exhaust every possibility for a deal … which would include the release of all the hostages, the exile of Hamas terrorists and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip,” his office said.
Hamas have accused Israel of demanding the release of all Israeli hostages without a guarantee of a ceasefire.
An official told Reuters: “They want to release the [hostages] without a commitment to end the war,” the official said.
Officials in Gaza have warned that Israel’s continued siege will lead to starvation and famine if aid is not allowed to enter the region soon.
“Hospitals are overwhelmed with the growing number of casualties, many are children, and … are struggling with shortages of medical supplies,” Khalil al-Deqran, the territory’s health ministry spokesperson, said.
The last week has been the deadliest in Gaza since Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas in March.
The director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, Marwan Al-Sultan, said it had received 58 bodies since midnight on Friday "while a large number of victims remain under the rubble".
"The situation inside the hospital is catastrophic," he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier in the week to escalate pressure on Hamas with the aim of destroying the militant group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades.
There had been widespread hope that Donald Trump's Middle East visit could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month.
At least 53,000 Gazans, the vast majority women and children, have been killed by Israel in the wake of Hamas’ October 7 attack on the country, which saw 1,200 Israelis die.