GAZA CITY, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES:
Israeli forces killed at least 71 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Saturday as ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas resumed in Cairo, although no significant progress was reported. Tanks and bulldozers advanced on the central city of Deir el-Balah, causing over 100,000 people to flee within two days.
The talks in Cairo, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, aimed to find compromises between Israel and Hamas to end the conflict. A Hamas delegation, led by senior official Khalil Al-Hayya, arrived in Egypt to participate closely in the discussions. However, despite hours of talks, no breakthroughs were achieved. One Palestinian official involved in the mediation said that Israel remained adamant about maintaining eight positions along the Philadelphi Corridor, the border area between Gaza and Egypt.
Meanwhile, clashes were reported in the occupied West Bank as Israeli forces raided the Balata refugee camp near Nablus. A young man was arrested, prompting a response from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, who claimed to have fired on Israeli soldiers during the raid.
In Gaza, the humanitarian crisis worsened with rising malnutrition and the discovery of polio. Earlier, Palestinian health authorities reported that Israeli military strikes killed at least 50 people on Saturday, with many victims trapped under rubble or lying on roads as fighting continued. The situation is exacerbated by the Israeli siege, which has severely limited food aid to Gaza.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), food aid levels in July were among the lowest since the siege began, leading to a sharp rise in acute malnutrition among children.
The World Health Organisation also confirmed a new case of polio in Gaza, the first in 25 years, raising concerns of a wider outbreak due to poor sanitation in the densely populated and war-torn enclave.
One of the central issues in the negotiations remains Israel’s demand to retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor. Hamas has accused Israel of reneging on previous agreements during the talks, a claim Israel denies. Hamas also accused the United States of not mediating in good faith.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is at odds with ceasefire negotiators over whether Israeli forces should remain deployed along the Gaza-Egypt border, an area Israel considers critical for security.
The continuation of the conflict risks further deteriorating conditions for Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants, the majority of whom are displaced and living in makeshift shelters. With malnutrition on the rise and diseases like polio re-emerging, the situation remains dire for civilians. The conflict has already resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to local health officials.
The possibility of further escalations looms as Iran considers retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh last month.
Meanwhile, US Air Force General C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made an unannounced visit to the Middle East on Saturday, aiming to prevent any further escalation, especially as the region prepares for potential Iranian attacks against Israel.
Tensions between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah have also intensified since October, with Israeli airstrikes targeting southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, while Hezbollah has launched increased rocket fire into northern Israel.
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