Israel’s military intensified bombardments on Gaza City on Wednesday, killing 123 people in the past 24 hours according to Gaza’s health ministry, as Hamas negotiators met Egyptian mediators in Cairo to discuss a potential ceasefire.
The latest fatalities mark the highest daily toll in a week, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed since the war began nearly two years ago to over 61,000. Local health authorities said eight more people, including three children, died from starvation and malnutrition in the past day, raising such deaths to 235. Israel disputes these figures, accusing Hamas of manipulating data.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his call for Palestinians to leave Gaza voluntarily – an idea also backed by U.S. President Donald Trump – saying they were “not being pushed out” and urging countries to “open their gates” if they wanted to help. Palestinians and many world leaders have condemned the proposal as a repeat of the 1948 “Nakba,” when hundreds of thousands were displaced.
Israeli forces are preparing to re-seize Gaza City, which they briefly controlled early in the war, in an operation expected within weeks. Officials say a ceasefire remains possible, but talks have stalled.
Overnight strikes and tank fire hit the Zeitoun and Shejaia districts of Gaza City, with Al-Ahli hospital reporting 12 killed in a single home. In southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, tanks destroyed several houses, while in central Gaza, nine people seeking aid were killed in two separate incidents, Palestinian medics said.
Hamas chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya’s Cairo talks focused on halting the war, delivering aid, and easing civilian suffering. Egyptian sources said discussions also covered a potential comprehensive ceasefire that would see Hamas give up governance in Gaza and disarm. A senior Hamas figure told Reuters the group was open to ideas if Israel ended the war and withdrew but ruled out surrendering arms beforehand.
International concern over Gaza’s humanitarian crisis is growing. Foreign ministers from 24 countries, including Britain, Canada, Australia, France, and Japan, described conditions as “unimaginable” and urged Israel to allow unrestricted aid.
The Israeli military said 320 trucks entered Gaza via the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings in the past day, with another 320 distributed by the U.N. and aid agencies, along with three fuel tankers and 97 pallets of airdropped aid. The U.N. and Palestinian officials say supplies remain far below what is needed.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s campaign to dismantle Hamas has since devastated Gaza, displacing millions and leaving much of the enclave in ruins.