Gaza Under Attack Again: 70 Killed, Aid Frozen Amid International Outrage

The number of Palestinian martyrs in the Gaza Strip rose to 70 yesterday, Thursday, as a result of intense Israeli aerial and artillery bombardment targeting various areas in the region.

The airstrikes continued on Gaza City, Jabalia Camp, Beach Camp, Shuja'iya neighborhood, and Tuffah neighborhood, along with shelling from warships on the western areas of the city, resulting in more than 135 martyrs and wounded since Wednesday dawn.

The Israeli army also fired on Palestinians waiting for aid in the Nusairat area in central Gaza and northwest of Gaza, with footage capturing the moment of shelling a residential square north of the Bureij Camp.

Meanwhile, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced targeting two Israeli military vehicles in Khan Yunis, confirming the killing of 6 soldiers and an officer, and injuring others, according to the Israeli army.

Politically, there is no progress in ceasefire negotiations, with sources reporting that the talks are at a standstill, revolving around a U.S. initiative presented by envoy Steve Whitekov, which Hamas has reservations about.

The reservations include clauses related to the mechanism of Israeli army withdrawal, ceasefire terms, aid delivery organization, and details of prisoner exchange.

Israeli Channel 12 indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold consultations today to discuss a potential deal including a ceasefire.

Simultaneously, three ministers in the Israeli government expressed dissatisfaction with the results of the military operations, calling for either their expansion or seeking to end them with an agreement.

In another development, the Israeli government decided to halt aid to Gaza, at Netanyahu's request, until a plan is presented to ensure Hamas does not control it.

The decision came under pressure from Finance Minister Tzachi Smotrich, who threatened to withdraw from the government if aid continued to enter.

In the West Bank, 3 Palestinians were martyred and 8 others were injured in the village of Kafr Malik east of Ramallah, due to a new attack by settlers coinciding with the Israeli army's incursion into areas in Jericho, Taibeh, Halhul, and Nablus, and conducting widespread arrests.

Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh considered the settler violence supported by the Israeli army a "political decision," warning that the situation is ripe for explosion, and calling for urgent international intervention to protect Palestinians.

Despite U.S. pressure, negotiations remain frozen, and Israel has not yet decided whether to send a negotiating delegation to Egypt or Qatar, according to three Israeli officials who informed Axios.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social platform that "the United States saved Israel," referring to the ongoing American support.

The situation in Gaza is heading towards further escalation, amidst the absence of any political progress and intensifying ground fighting.