Violence Persists in Gaza Despite Truce Talks as Casualties Rise

TEL AVIV, Israel — Despite an ongoing truce between Israel and Hamas, military actions continue in Gaza, resulting in at least nine fatalities on Saturday. Negotiations are underway in Qatar to secure the release of over half the remaining hostages held by Palestinian militants.

Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, is participating in the Qatar talks, which mark the most significant discussions between Israel and Hamas since Trump’s administration began in January. However, sources have indicated that the Israeli negotiating team consists of lower-level officials with a limited mandate, which might impede substantial progress.

According to an anonymous official familiar with the negotiations, mediators are currently attempting to build confidence between the conflicting parties. Israel states that 24 of the remaining hostages are alive in Gaza, comprised of 22 Israelis, one dual U.S. citizen, a Thai national, and a Nepalese national. In addition, many other hostages’ remains are believed to be held in Gaza.

The situation escalated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, resulting in nearly 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken. In response to the ongoing conflict, Gaza health officials report that Israeli strikes have killed over 48,000 Palestinians.

Hamas has called on Israel to adhere to the terms of the ceasefire, which includes negotiations for a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza’s border with Egypt and a comprehensive end to hostilities. Conversely, Israel is pursuing a temporary extension of the ceasefire while looking to exchange additional hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli officials have expressed concerns regarding smuggling across the border and have stated that they will not commit to troop withdrawals until Hamas relinquishes control of Gaza. To amplify pressure on Hamas, Israel is reportedly withholding humanitarian supplies, including food, fuel, and electricity from Gaza, raising condemnation from humanitarian organizations.

Myriam Laaroussi, a spokesperson for Médecins Sans Frontières, criticized Israel for leveraging humanitarian aid as a negotiation tactic. “This is outrageous. Humanitarian aid should never be used as a bargaining chip in war,” she said. “The blockade on all supplies is inevitably harming hundreds of thousands of people and is having deadly consequences.”

In addition to negotiations regarding hostages, Israel and Lebanon have initiated mediation efforts aimed at resolving border disputes. Israeli and Lebanese officials convened in the Naqoura border village on Tuesday, with discussions mediated by the U.S. and France.

According to an Israeli government statement, the talks addressed long-standing border delineation issues and discussed five areas in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces continue to operate despite a previously established truce agreement mandating a withdrawal. As a gesture toward the newly elected president of Lebanon, Israel has agreed to release five Lebanese detainees.