Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip – Hamas has issued a “positive response” to the latest ceasefire proposal for Gaza, as talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators continue on how to implement the truce. The response follows a U.S.-backed initiative led by President Donald Trump proposing a 60-day ceasefire to halt the nearly 21-month-long war in the region, reported the Times of Israel.
While Hamas did not confirm full acceptance of the proposal, its statement indicated willingness to engage in immediate negotiations to finalize implementation. The group is reportedly seeking several guarantees, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces to positions held before March 2, assurance of sustained aid inflow through international agencies, and continuation of negotiations beyond the 60-day truce for a permanent end to the conflict and the release of remaining hostages.
Trump said, he is pressing both parties to agree to the ceasefire, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Washington next week to discuss the deal further.
Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians on Friday in the southern Gaza Strip, and another 20 people died amid ongoing shootings near food distribution sites. The UN Human Rights Office has reported that at least 613 Palestinians were killed over the past month while trying to access humanitarian aid.
Most of these deaths occurred near food distribution points operated by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), where Israeli troops are alleged to have opened fire on civilians. GHF denies any serious incidents at its sites, while the Israeli military claims it only fires warning shots to control crowds.
Tragically, on Friday alone, at least 17 Palestinians were killed in Khan Younis while waiting for UN-linked aid trucks in areas under Israeli military control. Eyewitnesses reported direct fire from tanks and drones. “It was a crowd of people, may God help them, who want to eat and live,” said Seddiq Abu Farhana, a survivor who was shot in the leg.
Israeli airstrikes also hit the Muwasi area, home to displaced Palestinians in makeshift camps. Among the 15 dead there were eight women and one child, according to local hospitals.
The UN Human Rights Office says the killings cannot be fully attributed yet, but evidence indicates Israeli forces have shelled and shot civilians near aid points. Of the reported casualties, 509 are believed to be connected to GHF sites. GHF has criticized the UN for using figures provided by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, but the UN has asserted that their data comes from independent sources, including humanitarian and medical organizations.
Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, the region’s largest remaining medical facility, continues to receive hundreds of casualties daily, many suffering from gunshot wounds. The World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross have both expressed alarm at the volume of injuries linked to aid-seeking.
In a separate development, the Israeli military reported the deaths of two soldiers in northern Gaza combat operations. Over 860 Israeli soldiers have died since the start of the war, including more than 400 during fighting inside Gaza.
The conflict began in October 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages.
As of now, over 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing conflict, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. More than half of the dead are reported to be women and children.
Israel’s military has announced new evacuation orders in Khan Younis, further compressing Gaza’s civilian population into even smaller coastal areas as military operations intensify.
