Gaza: At least 40 Palestinians were killed in ongoing Israeli attacks across Gaza on Tuesday, according to local medical sources and eyewitnesses, as Israeli forces also issued new evacuation orders. The renewed violence came shortly after a ceasefire agreement was announced between Israel and Iran in their recent aerial hostilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump revealed the ceasefire deal, prompting tentative optimism among Palestinians that the broader conflict in Gaza—now in its 21st month—might soon see a resolution. The war has devastated much of the coastal enclave, forcing widespread displacement and causing acute levels of malnutrition.
In Gaza, the suffering showed no signs of slowing. Marwan Abu Naser, a doctor at Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat, said the facility received 19 bodies and treated 146 wounded after Israeli forces opened fire near a crowd approaching a U.S.-funded aid distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The Israeli military confirmed operations in the Netzarim Corridor area but said it was still assessing casualty reports. In contrast, the GHF denied any incident near its aid center, claiming it operates several kilometers from the reported location.
Palestinians have increasingly resorted to waiting along roadsides for UN aid trucks in hopes of receiving food, including flour. Reports have surfaced of Israeli forces shooting civilians in these queues.
While Israel insists that GHF distribution channels help prevent aid from reaching Hamas fighters, the United Nations strongly disagrees. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini condemned the mechanism as “an abomination” and “a death trap,” saying it violates core humanitarian principles.
Meanwhile, separate strikes caused further fatalities. Ten people were killed in an Israeli air raid on a house in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood, while 11 more died from gunfire in Khan Younis in the south, bringing the confirmed death toll for the day to at least 40.
Israel maintains that Hamas uses densely populated areas as cover for its operations. Hamas, however, denies this.
Despite the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, many Palestinians expressed disappointment that Gaza was left out of the agreement. Adding to the tension, Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets in northern Gaza ordering residents to flee southward—signaling the likelihood of renewed military action.
"Returning to combat zones puts your life at risk," read the military flyers.
According to sources familiar with Hamas' stance -cited by Reuters- there are fresh diplomatic attempts underway to revive indirect ceasefire negotiations. Hamas reportedly remains open to any proposal that ensures the end of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli troops—conditions Israel has consistently rejected.
Hamas has offered to release remaining hostages in exchange for an end to the war, while Israel insists that any resolution must include Hamas’ disarmament—something the group refuses.
The current war erupted after Hamas militants launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 others, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s military response has since claimed the lives of around 56,000 Palestinians, per Gaza’s health ministry, and left nearly all of the territory’s 2 million residents displaced, with food insecurity reaching crisis levels.
