At least 60 people have been killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Monday, including women, children, and a local journalist, in some of the heaviest attacks in weeks. The strikes come as Israeli officials are set to discuss a potential ceasefire with US President Donald Trump’s administration in Washington.
According to Reuters reports, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is traveling to Washington for talks on Iran and Gaza. This development follows Trump’s call to “Make the deal in Gaza, get the hostages back.” Dermer is expected to meet with Trump administration officials on Tuesday to discuss a new ceasefire push.
However, the situation on the ground in Gaza paints a grim picture. The Israeli military has issued evacuation orders to residents in large districts in the northern Gaza Strip, forcing a new wave of displacement. Witnesses describe the intense bombardment, with one resident saying, “Explosions never stopped; they bombed schools and homes. It felt like earthquakes.”
The Israeli military claims to have targeted militant infrastructure in northern Gaza, including command and control centers, after taking steps to minimize civilian risk. However, residents and health authorities report widespread destruction and loss of life. At least 58 people were killed in Israeli strikes, with 10 fatalities reported in Zeitoun and 13 southwest of Gaza City. A beachfront cafe in Gaza City was hit, killing 22 people.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with over 56,000 Palestinians killed, mostly civilians, and 2.3 million displaced since the war began on October 7, 2023. The Palestinian Journalist Syndicate reports over 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza since then.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel has agreed to a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and hostage deal, putting the onus on Hamas. Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger called for an immediate ceasefire, saying the humanitarian situation in Gaza is “unbearable” and “the suffering of civilians is increasingly burdening Israel’s relations with Europe.”
The US-proposed deal includes a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and remains. Hamas would release the remaining hostages as part of a deal guaranteeing an end to the war. However, Hamas insists Israel must change its position and agree to end the war and withdraw from Gaza
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