GAZA – Ceasefire negotiations in Gaza remain deadlocked, even as mediators from the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt intensify efforts to reach a deal. The talks follow Israel’s 12-day war with Iran and come amid escalating violence on the ground.
A senior Hamas official confirmed ongoing contacts but said no new proposals had been received. “Mediators are engaged in intensive efforts,” he said, “but no official terms have been presented to us.” Israeli officials also reported no breakthrough, citing unresolved core disagreements.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that “great progress” had been made toward a ceasefire, crediting the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. “We’re going to have some very good news,” Trump told reporters in Brussels. He said his envoy, Steve Witkoff, believed a deal between Israel and Hamas was “very close.”
Despite the optimism, the violence in Gaza shows no sign of slowing. Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday killed at least 45 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Some of the dead had reportedly gathered at food distribution points when they were struck.
The Israeli military announced that seven soldiers were killed on Tuesday in a bombing in Khan Younis. The explosion, claimed by Hamas, ignited their armored vehicle and triggered failed rescue efforts. “It was a difficult day for the people of Israel,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Funerals were held in Gaza City for 33 Palestinians reportedly killed while attempting to collect humanitarian aid. Witnesses said Israeli fire targeted crowded aid sites, though the Israeli military stated it was “not aware of any incidents with casualties” at those locations. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which oversees aid distribution, called the reports of deaths near its sites “false.”
However, Gaza’s health ministry reported that at least 549 people have died and more than 4,000 have been injured while trying to access food since May 26, when the GHF began operations. Armed clan members now guard aid lorries in towns like Beit Lahia, as desperation grows.
“These aid points are not for survival,” said Abu Mohammed, a Gaza resident. “They are death points.”
Unicef spokesperson James Elder said food denial forces civilians into life-threatening decisions. “People are being offered this lethal choice,” he said. “It cannot improve in a combat zone.”
On Wednesday, six people, including a child, were killed in an airstrike on a home in Nuseirat refugee camp. Five more died in nearby Deir al-Balah, according to local emergency officials.
Israel’s blockade of Gaza aid deliveries, imposed in March, was only partially lifted after intense international pressure. A new aid channel bypassing the United Nations run by the U.S.-backed GHF was introduced to reduce theft, a charge Hamas denies.
The GHF claims to have distributed over 44 million meals since launching, including more than 2.4 million on Wednesday. But major humanitarian groups have refused to partner with the foundation, calling its methods a breach of neutrality.
Since the start of the Israel-Iran conflict, Gaza has faced intensified military action. Over 860 Palestinians were killed during the fighting, which began when Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Iran responded with missile attacks, prompting widespread destruction.
Inside Gaza, public sentiment remains split. Some residents see Iran’s military setback as a potential opening for negotiations. Others fear Israel, no longer distracted by Iran, will focus its full military power on Gaza.
Nader Ramadan, a resident of Khan Younis, described the days since the Iran conflict ended as worse. “The bombing intensified, the damage increased, and the incursion expanded,” he said. “We only felt the destruction.”
In Ashkelon, Israel buried Sgt. Shahar Manoav, one of the seven soldiers killed in the Khan Younis attack. The loss sparked political backlash, including from Netanyahu’s own coalition. Moshe Gafni, a member of United Torah Judaism, said in parliament, “I don’t understand what we’re fighting for when soldiers are being killed all the time.”
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas-led assault killed around 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages. Israel responded with a full military campaign. The Gaza health ministry reports over 56,000 people have died since.
Fifty Israeli hostages remain in Gaza. At least 20 are believed to be alive.
With casualties rising and aid efforts under fire, the urgency for a ceasefire continues to grow but both sides remain far from agreement.
