Health authorities in Gaza have reported that 74 people were killed in the territory over the past 24 hours due to Israeli military operations, while Hamas stated it has not been informed of any Gaza ceasefire proposal from US President Donald Trump, reports RTE.
Hamas made the statement following a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which cited unnamed sources claiming that Hamas had, in principle, agreed to release all Israeli hostages it holds in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces under a plan put forward by Mr Trump.
The reported plan also included provisions for ending Hamas’s governance in Gaza, preventing Israel from annexing the area, and ensuring Palestinians would not be forced to leave the territory, according to Haaretz, reports RTE.
“Hamas has not been presented with any plan,” a Hamas official, speaking anonymously, told Reuters, reports RTE.
In remarks made to the press yesterday, Mr Trump said, “it’s looking like we have a deal on Gaza,” though he did not provide specifics or a timeline. So far, Israeli authorities have not commented publicly on Trump’s statement.
Mr Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose hard-right coalition government opposes ending the Gaza conflict until Hamas is fully dismantled.
The US president also noted that discussions on Gaza with countries in the Middle East remain intense and would continue for as long as needed, reports RTE.
According to Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, the president has shared proposals with leaders of several Muslim-majority nations this week, including a 21-point plan for peace in the region.
In the meantime, Israeli military operations in Gaza are ongoing.
Health officials in Gaza said 74 people had died there in the past day, reports RTE.
The UN World Food Programme estimates that between 350,000 and 400,000 Palestinians have fled since Israel escalated its ground offensive in Gaza City a few weeks ago, though hundreds of thousands remain in the area.
Doctors Without Borders announced yesterday that it had to halt its medical services in Gaza City after Israeli troops surrounded its facilities, reports RTE.
The organisation called the suspension the “last thing” it wanted to do, noting that highly vulnerable patients, including newborns in neonatal care and individuals with critical illnesses, are now in serious danger.
According to the World Health Organization, four medical centres in Gaza City have closed so far this month, and the UN has reported that some malnutrition treatment centres have also shut down, reports RTE.
Gaza health officials say Israeli military actions have led to over 65,000 Palestinian deaths since October 2023.
The United Nations has considered the casualty data provided by Gaza’s Ministry of Health to be credible.
The current phase of the conflict began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led militants crossed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages, according to Israeli reports, reports RTE.
Since then, Israel’s military response and blockade have caused a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, displacing nearly all of its population and destroying large portions of the territory.
Last month, the IPC global hunger monitor concluded that a completely human-made famine is occurring in Gaza, while UN human rights chief Volker Turk said the famine is a direct consequence of Israeli government actions, reports RTE.
An independent UN commission also determined this month that Israel has committed and continues to commit acts of genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza.
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