At Least 81 Killed in Gaza Strikes as Ceasefire Talks Stall
At least 81 Palestinians have been killed and over 400 injured in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza in the 24 hours leading up to midday Saturday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred near Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, where a strike killed at least 11 people, including children, according to hospital staff and eyewitnesses. The stadium had been serving as a shelter for displaced families living in tents. Footage verified by the BBC shows civilians frantically digging through sand and rubble with their hands and spades to recover bodies.
The Israeli military said it was “unaware of injuries as a result of the strike,” except for what it described as “a suspicious individual who posed a threat” to its forces.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism that a ceasefire deal could be reached within the coming week. Qatari mediators echoed that hope, citing U.S. influence following the recent truce that ended a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran.
Previous attempts at a ceasefire in Gaza have faltered. A deal agreed on 19 January collapsed in March after Israel resumed military action. The agreement had included three phases: a temporary truce, a permanent ceasefire, and the return of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. It did not advance beyond the first stage.
On Thursday, a senior Hamas official told the BBC that mediators were ramping up efforts to restart talks, but negotiations with Israel remain at an impasse.
In Israel, public pressure is also mounting. On Saturday evening, a rally in Tel Aviv called for an immediate deal to secure the release of remaining Israeli hostages. Organizers urged leaders to “end the fighting and bring everyone home in one phase.”
Despite these efforts, the violence continues. On Friday evening, Israeli airstrikes near the Palestine Stadium killed 11 people, including children. Ahmed Qishawi, a witness, said the area was crowded with tents when it was suddenly hit. “This area was packed… now the tents are under the sand,” he told Reuters. “We spent hours digging with our bare hands.”
He rejected Israeli claims that militants were present in the area: “There are no wanted people here, no terrorists—just civilians and children, targeted without mercy.”
Elsewhere in Gaza, 14 more people, including children, were killed in strikes on an apartment block and a tent in the al-Mawasi area. One family—parents and three children—was killed in their sleep, relatives told the Associated Press. “What did these children do to them? What is their fault?” asked their grandmother, Suad Abu Teima.
Further casualties were reported Saturday afternoon in the Tuffah neighborhood near Jaffa School, where many displaced residents had taken shelter. At least eight people were killed, five of them children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Mohammed Haboub, a resident, said his nephews, father, and neighboring children were among the dead. “We are civilians,” he told Reuters. “Why do they harm us? Did we harm them?”
Emergency workers are reportedly struggling to reach victims in several locations due to the scale of destruction and blocked roads. The health ministry said ambulances and civil defense crews are facing major obstacles in retrieving the wounded and the dead.
Responding to questions about the Tuffah strike, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it targeted “a suspicious individual who posed a threat to IDF troops operating in northern Gaza.” It claimed that precautions were taken to minimize civilian harm and that it was not aware of additional casualties beyond the individual targeted.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Saturday evening that it had killed Hakham Muhammad Issa al-Issa, a senior commander in Hamas’s military wing, during a strike in the Sabra area of Gaza City on Friday.
According to the IDF, al-Issa was a founding member of Hamas’s military arm, a member of its general security council, and played a key role in planning and carrying out the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.
That attack left approximately 1,200 people dead and 251 others taken hostage, prompting Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Since then, more than 56,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
