In Gaza, grief and dust hang in the air. At least 26 people were killed on Tuesday after Israeli strikes tore through crowded tent camps and aid sites. Among the dead was 13-year-old Dana Al-Hajj, carried lifeless in her father’s arms to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah.
Hamas, meanwhile, announced it has accepted a ceasefire proposal brokered by international mediators. The deal would involve a 60-day truce and possible exchanges of captives and prisoners.
“We want relief for the people of Gaza,” said Adnan Hayajneh, a professor of international relations at Qatar University, describing the move as an “exit strategy” for Hamas. He added that the group is likely responding to growing international recognition of Palestinian statehood.
The Israeli government has yet to confirm whether it will honour the ceasefire terms. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing mounting pressure at home—some demanding tougher military action, others calling for restraint. Analysts say his next steps remain hard to predict.
On the ground, the toll of the war is impossible to ignore. Eight people died in Khan Younis after an airstrike hit a tent sheltering displaced families. Four more were killed in Deir al-Balah when another tent was struck. Later in the day, Israeli gunfire near a humanitarian aid site in southern Gaza claimed two more lives, according to local reports.
International aid is slowly trickling in. Cyprus said it had shipped 1,200 tonnes of humanitarian supplies by sea, with distribution to be handled by the World Central Kitchen under a United Nations framework.
But anger is also rising over U.S. policy. Rights groups have condemned Washington’s decision to suspend medical visas for Palestinians from Gaza, arguing it will prevent children from receiving life-saving treatment abroad. HEAL Palestine, a U.S.-based charity, said the move “severely harms injured children” who rely on temporary visas for urgent care.
As the bombs fall and funerals multiply, the question lingers: will the ceasefire hold, or is Gaza bracing for more bloodshed before peace arrives?
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