Israeli air strikes have intensified across Gaza, Yemen, and Lebanon, killing at least 82 Palestinians in the last 24 hours, including 10 civilians waiting for food aid, as the humanitarian crisis deepens. Among the dead are several children, including six killed during a strike on a UN-run school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City.
The renewed bombardments come just days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., amid renewed negotiations in Doha aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Speaking on Sunday, Trump said there is a “good chance” of a ceasefire deal being reached within the week. The optimism follows reports that Hamas submitted a “positive response” to the ceasefire framework, although the group proposed three key amendments:
- UN supervision of humanitarian aid distribution,
- Limiting Israeli troop deployment, and
- Immediate commencement of peace talks once a ceasefire begins.
Despite labeling these demands “unacceptable,” Netanyahu authorized a negotiating team to travel to Qatar, signaling a possible softening of Israel’s stance. The Israeli Prime Minister reiterated, however, that any truce must align with three core objectives:
- The release of 50 remaining Israeli hostages,
- The total destruction of Hamas’ political and military infrastructure, and
- Ensuring Gaza can no longer pose a threat to Israel.
Sunday’s air raids were some of the deadliest in recent weeks. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s ongoing military campaign has now killed at least 57,418 Palestinians and injured over 136,000 since October 7, 2023. That date marked the start of the conflict, when 1,139 people were killed in Israel, with more than 200 kidnapped by Hamas.
Overnight strikes leveled two residential buildings in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, with rescuers digging through rubble with their bare hands to find survivors. Eyewitnesses described the aftermath as “apocalyptic,” with victims’ remains reportedly found in trees and under collapsed concrete.
In response to missile launches from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the Israeli military launched coordinated strikes on three ports and a power plant in Yemen. Shortly after, two more missiles were fired toward Israel, though no impact or casualties were reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued in southern and eastern Lebanon, raising fears of a multi-front escalation. The Liberian-flagged vessel targeted in the Red Sea was safely evacuated after coming under Houthi missile fire.
In Europe, a group of French legal experts from Jurists for the Respect of International Law (JURDI) filed an urgent request to halt a military shipment bound for Israel. The cargo, routed through France’s Charles de Gaulle Airport, was reportedly en route to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems. The jurists argued that France’s involvement could amount to complicity in war crimes.
International calls for a ceasefire continue to grow louder. Members of the BRICS alliance have called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, demanding the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Palestinian territories.
At the same time, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition is preparing another attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea, weeks after a previous vessel was seized by Israeli forces.
