📈 Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens as the death toll climbs and ceasefire talks stall.
Truce roadblocks: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that top Hamas chiefs based in Qatar are the main obstacle to a full hostage release and truce. Recent air strikes hit Hamas leaders in Doha, which Qatar says also killed one of its security personnel.
Hamas responds: The group reported five members killed, including a son of exiled Gaza official Khalil al-Hayya, but says its senior negotiators are safe. Hamas insists it won’t free all hostages or give up arms without a formal deal ending the war and paving the way for a Palestinian state.
Civilian toll & displacement: WAFA reports at least 45 civilians killed on Saturday alone by gunfire and shelling. Since August 11, over 1,600 homes and 13,000 tents have been destroyed in eastern Gaza City, forcing 350,000+ people to flee. Key districts like Shuja'iyya and Rimal face "systematic destruction," says Gaza’s Civil Defense.
Humanitarian alarm: UNRWA calls the situation "catastrophic," warning that air strikes hit without warning and there’s nowhere safe to go. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and residents are urged to head to humanitarian zones in southern or central Gaza.
Backstory: The conflict ignited on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Israel’s Gaza campaign has since resulted in nearly 65,000 Palestinian casualties.
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Reference(s):
Gaza death toll rises, Israel cites Hamas chiefs as obstacle to truce
cgtn.com
