More than 100 Palestinians were killed overnight in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, according to local health officials on Sunday, as renewed ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas showed little progress.
The Israeli military did not issue an immediate statement, but reports indicate that strikes have intensified since Thursday, targeting wide areas of the besieged enclave. These attacks are seen as preparation for a fresh ground offensive aimed at establishing what Israel calls “operational control” in parts of Gaza.
“In just one night, over 100 people were martyred. Entire families have been wiped off the civil registry,” said Khalil Al-Deqran, spokesperson for Gaza’s health ministry, speaking to Reuters by phone.
Since early March, Israel has blocked critical supplies — including food, fuel, and medical aid — from entering Gaza. The blockade is aimed at pressuring Hamas to release Israeli hostages. Israel has also approved plans that may involve taking full control of Gaza and directly managing aid distribution.
Hamas has maintained it will only release the hostages if Israel agrees to a ceasefire.
Ceasefire negotiations, brokered by Egypt and Qatar with support from the United States, resumed on Saturday in Doha. However, sources close to the discussions say there’s been no meaningful progress. A Palestinian official involved in the talks said Hamas is open to negotiating the number of hostages it could release, but the sticking point remains Israel’s unwillingness to commit to ending the war.
According to reports from Sky News Arabia and the BBC, Hamas has offered to release around half of the hostages in exchange for a two-month ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. A Hamas representative confirmed to Reuters that Israel still insists on hostage releases without agreeing to halt the conflict.
Meanwhile, one of the Israeli airstrikes overnight struck a camp for displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis, killing women and children, injuring dozens more, and igniting tents.
Hamas condemned the attack as another “brutal crime” and accused the U.S. of enabling Israel’s military escalation.
Among those killed on Sunday were three journalists and their families. In northern Gaza, medical officials reported one family lost at least 20 members in a single strike. Zakaria Al-Sinwar, brother of former Hamas leader Yehya Al-Sinwar, was also killed alongside three of his children in central Gaza. Zakaria had been a university lecturer.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. Repeated attacks on hospitals and a strict blockade on aid have pushed the healthcare system to near-collapse. “Hospitals are overflowing with wounded civilians, many of them children. Amputations are rising, and essential medical supplies are running out,” said Deqran.
The Israeli military, in a statement Saturday, said it is carrying out widespread strikes as part of efforts to dismantle Hamas’s military and governmental infrastructure. Israel’s stated objective is to eliminate Hamas’s ability to govern or carry out military operations — a response to the group’s attack on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 Israelis were killed and some 250 hostages taken.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, Israel’s military campaign has killed over 53,000 people, displaced nearly the entire population, and left the region devastated.
