Twenty-two Palestinians were killed between Friday, July 4, and Saturday, July 5, in Muwasi, a densely populated area in southern Gaza that has become a settlement for displaced residents. On Sunday, July 6, the death toll in Muwasi climbed to 40, after an additional 18 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Coupled with the seven others who were killed between the southern city of Bani Suheila and Khan Younis, as well as those who have died while attempting to get food and other aid or were killed during strikes in other parts of Gaza, the Palestinian death toll in the enclave surpassed 70 in little more than 48 hours.
All of this comes as Israel and Hamas sent delegations to Qatar for indirect talks on ceasefire negotiations Sunday, guided by a U.S.-backed 60-day ceasefire proposal. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government had agreed to participate in the talks, despite finding Hamas’ demands and amendments to the proposal “unacceptable.”
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Weekend death toll continues to climb
On Sunday, July 6, Israel claimed it struck 130 targets across Gaza in a 24-hour period, including some of Hamas’ infrastructure, weapons, launchers and a “number of militants,” according to the AP. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City also said an Israeli strike hit two houses in the region, killing 20 Palestinians and wounding 25 others. However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not comment on those strikes.
Another 18 were killed during Israeli strikes in Muwasi, an area that saw upwards of 40 deaths over the weekend. Muwasi has become a densely populated settlement of tents, housing Gaza residents who have been displaced since the start of the war nearly two years ago.
The BBC reported that the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths, said 80 people killed in Israeli strikes had been brought to the region’s hospitals over the past 24 hours.
Ceasefire negotiations take shape
The continuing strikes come as Israel and Hamas prepare to discuss the terms of a ceasefire, as negotiators from both governments made their way to Qatar for indirect talks Sunday alongside mediators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar. U.S. President Donald Trump is also set to meet with Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, July 7.
Trump has outlined a 60-day ceasefire proposal that would pave the way for Hamas to release more of the hostages it’s held since launching a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, effectively kickstarting the current war. Meanwhile, Israel would be expected to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza during the ceasefire timeframe and withdraw troops from an agreed-upon location in northern Gaza.
An anonymous Israeli official also told the AP that the government’s security Cabinet approved a plan to send aid into northern Gaza, as much of the region faces impending famine.
Late Friday, Hamas said it had delivered a “positive” response to the U.S. proposal. In a statement published by the Islamic Republic News Agency, Hamas said, “The movement has delivered its response to the brotherly mediators, which was characterized by a positive spirit. Hamas is fully prepared, with all seriousness, to immediately enter a new round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework.”
Netanyahu’s office said late Saturday that Hamas’ demands were “unacceptable,” but added, “In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages — on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to — be continued. The negotiating team will leave tomorrow.”
Previous attempts fall apart
The two sides have been unable to agree upon fundamental portions of a ceasefire, including Israel’s demand that Hamas be completely dissolved and Hamas’ demand that Israel completely withdraw from Gaza. Hamas is also looking for security guarantees that won’t allow Israel to restart its operations after the 60-day ceasefire ends.
Israel abandoned a previous ceasefire back in March, after it launched “extensive airstrikes” that killed more than 320 people and declared a “massive offensive.”
Since then, the two sides have either agreed to or amended subsequent proposals, but have not yet signed one.
The war began after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people. Israel’s military campaign has since killed over 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have displaced nearly 90% of Gaza’s population, while famine conditions persist across many areas.
