Cease-fire talks continue as Israel steps up Gaza strikes
As negotiators strive for a cease-fire, the US secretary of state told Israeli officials they must do more to reduce civilian casualties in the meantime.
WASHINGTON — Negotiations continue over a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, even as Israel steps up its strikes on Hamas militants in the Palestinian enclave.
Israeli strikes killed more than 60 Palestinians across Gaza Tuesday, including nearly two dozen people at a United Nations-run school housing displaced families in the Nuseirat camp, according to local health officials.
The strikes come days after Israel said it was targeting Hamas’ military leader, Mohammed Deif, when it struck a compound in a designated humanitarian zone in the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis on Saturday. The Israeli military is confident Deif was killed in the strike, according to Israeli media, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference in Tel Aviv on Saturday that he was not yet certain Deif died in the bombing. The strikes killed at least 90 Palestinians, according to local authorities, in addition to Deif's deputy, Rafa Salama. In a statement, Hamas called the attacks a “horrific massacre.”
Israel’s leaders have argued that Hamas responds to military pressure in negotiations over a possible cease-fire, the terms of which President Joe Biden unveiled on May 31. US, Egyptian and Qatar negotiators have been trying to bridge the gaps in the three-phase cease-fire and hostage-release plan.
