gaza Truce Talks Stall Amid Deadly Israeli Air Strikes

Gaza‘s civil defence agency reported that Israeli air strikes on Sunday, July 13, killed more than 40 Palestinians. The strikes targeted a market and a water distribution point, occurring as talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas reached an impasse.

Delegations from both Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have spent a week attempting to negotiate a temporary truce to halt 21 months of intense fighting in the Gaza Strip. However, on Saturday, each side accused the other of obstructing efforts to reach an agreement during indirect talks held in Doha, Qatar.

Meanwhile, israeli strikes on Gaza have continued unabated. The region, home to over two million people, has seen a important portion of its population displaced at least onc during the ongoing conflict.

Adding to the dire situation, seven United Nations agencies issued a warning on Saturday highlighting that fuel shortages have reached “critical levels.” This scarcity threatens the delivery of essential aid, the functioning of hospitals, and exacerbates already chronic food insecurity.

Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for the civil defence agency, stated that at least 43 individuals perished in the most recent Israeli strikes. Eleven of these casualties occurred when a market in Gaza City was hit. In the Nuseirat refugee camp, located in central Gaza, a drone strike at a water point resulted in 10 victims, including eight children, Bassal confirmed.

“We woke up to the sound of two large explosions,” recounted Khaled Rayyan to AFP, describing how a house in Nuseirat was flattened.