Ceasefire Efforts Intensify Amid Escalating Gaza Conflict

Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Jul 9 (AP) At least 40 Palestinians lost their lives in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, according to hospital officials on Wednesday. International mediators are urgently working to finalize a ceasefire agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened with US President Donald Trump for the second time in two days at the White House on Tuesday evening. Trump is advocating for a ceasefire to halt the 21-month conflict in Gaza. Israel and Hamas are deliberating a new US-backed ceasefire proposal aiming to pause hostilities, release Israeli hostages, and deliver vital aid to Gaza. At Khan Younis's Nasser Hospital, the fatalities included 17 women and 10 children, with one strike reportedly claiming 10 members of the same family, including three children.

The Israeli military had no specific comments on the strikes but mentioned hitting over 100 targets in Gaza within the past day, targeting militants, booby-trapped structures, weapons storage sites, missile launchers, and tunnels. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as shields for weapons and fighters. Many Palestinians are anxiously observing the ceasefire talks, yearning for an end to the conflict.

In Muwasi's sprawling coastal area, many remain in makeshift tents due to displacement. Abeer al-Najjar expressed her struggles to secure essential food and water amid unrelenting bombings. She fervently hopes for a lasting ceasefire, lamenting previous pauses followed by renewed violence. Her husband, Ali al-Najjar, described the summer hardships, lacking access to drinking water in their crowded tent amid scorching heat. He hopes for relief from suffering and a chance for reconstruction, rushing with buckets to a water truck amidst a crowd.

Local resident Amani Abu-Omar lamented the infrequency of water deliveries, insufficient for her children's needs, and voiced concerns of skin rashes in the summer heat. Though she desires a ceasefire, past disappointments fuel her skepticism. She noted, “We had expected ceasefires on many occasions, but it was for nothing.” The violence began after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Most hostages have been freed through prior ceasefires. Israel's offensive in Gaza has claimed over 57,000 Palestinian lives, over half being women and children, as per Gaza's Health Ministry, under Hamas’s governance. The international community generally considers these figures reliable for war casualties.

Netanyahu and Trump reconvene Netanyahu informed reporters in the Capitol that he and Trump share a unified stance on dismantling Hamas. He praised the unprecedented cooperation and coordination between Israel and the U.S. during Israel's 77-year history. Later this week, Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, will travel to Doha for additional indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas.

Witkoff mentioned resolving three major disagreements, although one key issue remains. After their second meeting, Netanyahu and Trump also reflected on the “great victory” over Iran from Israeli and American strikes during a recent 12-day conflict. Netanyahu also highlighted opportunities for expanding the Abraham Accords, referring to normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries brokered in Trump’s first term. Washington continues efforts toward normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. (AP) NSA NSA

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)