Deir al-Balah, Gaza – Local health authorities in Gaza report that more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed during nearly two years of war in the Gaza Strip, as Israel and Hamas continue to reiterate conflicting demands to end the devastating conflict that began with the October 2023 attacks.
Israel has intensified its offensive in famine-stricken Gaza City, where 28 Palestinians — mostly women and children — were killed in airstrikes on Thursday. Israeli military spokesperson General Efi Dferen stated that Israeli forces now control about 40 percent of Gaza City and that the operation “will expand in the coming days.”
In the occupied West Bank, an anti-settlement monitoring group reported that Israeli settlers have established a new settlement in a Palestinian town, adding further tensions to the already volatile region.
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Gaza City, home to nearly one million residents, has borne the brunt of the latest assaults. According to hospital records, 25 bodies were brought to Gaza’s Shifa Hospital following the strikes, including nine children and six women. Among the victims was a 10-day-old infant. In southern Gaza, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis confirmed the deaths of three more people.
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that since the war began, 64,231 Palestinians have been killed, including nearly 400 individuals who were previously missing but whose deaths have now been confirmed.
Hamas issued a statement late Wednesday, declaring its readiness to return all 48 hostages, though Israel believes only 20 remain alive. The group said hostages would be released in exchange for:
The release of Palestinian prisoners,
A permanent ceasefire,
The full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza,
The reopening of border crossings, and
The initiation of Gaza’s long-term reconstruction.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office dismissed the offer as “spin,” vowing to continue the war until all hostages are returned and Hamas is disarmed.
Meanwhile, Israel and the United States have recently signaled openness to a comprehensive agreement that would secure the release of all remaining hostages simultaneously and implement a full ceasefire across Gaza.
