Gaza’s Grim Reality: Over 20 Lives Lost as Ceasefire Efforts Falter

Stalled Gaza ceasefire talks entered their second week on Monday, with mediators striving to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, over 20 Palestinians lost their lives across the embattled territory.

The indirect negotiations in Qatar appear deadlocked, with both sides pointing fingers at each other for blocking a deal that would secure the release of hostages and implement a 60-day ceasefire after nearly 21 months of conflict.

An official familiar with the talks confirmed to Agence France-Presse that discussions were ongoing in Doha on Monday, stating, “Current negotiations are centered on proposed maps for Israeli force deployment within Gaza.”

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, added, “Mediators are actively exploring innovative approaches to narrow the remaining differences and maintain negotiation momentum.”

Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who seeks to dismantle the Palestinian militant group, of being the primary roadblock to progress.

“Netanyahu excels at sabotaging successive rounds of negotiations and shows no willingness to reach any agreement,” the group stated on Telegram.

In Gaza, the civil defense agency reported at least 22 fatalities on Monday resulting from the latest Israeli strikes in and around Gaza City and in southern Khan Younis.

An Israeli military statement claimed troops had destroyed buildings and “terrorist infrastructure” used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza City’s Shujaiya and Zeitun neighborhoods.

The Al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad’s armed wing fighting alongside Hamas, released footage on Monday purportedly showing its fighters launching missiles at an Israeli army command and control center near Shujaiya.

Later Monday, the Israeli military announced that three soldiers – ages 19, 20, and 21 – were killed in combat in northern Gaza and died in hospital. Another soldier from the same unit was severely wounded.

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism about securing a truce, telling reporters Sunday night, “We’re in talks, and hopefully we’ll get this sorted out within the next week.”

A Palestinian source close to the negotiations told AFP that Hamas’ chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, met with Hamas and Islamic Jihad leadership in Doha on Sunday evening to align their positions.

The source added, “Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediators are continuing efforts to present Israel with a revised withdrawal map that would be acceptable.”

On Saturday, the same source reported that Hamas rejected Israeli proposals to maintain troops in over 40% of Gaza and plans to relocate Palestinians to an enclave along the Egyptian border.

A senior Israeli political official countered by accusing Hamas of inflexibility and deliberately attempting to derail talks by clinging to positions that prevent mediators from advancing an agreement.

Netanyahu stated he would be open to discussions for a more lasting ceasefire once a temporary truce deal is reached, but only if Hamas disarms.

He faces mounting pressure to conclude the war, with rising military casualties and growing public frustration over the continued captivity of hostages taken on October 7, as well as a perceived lack of progress in the conflict.

While Netanyahu’s fragile governing coalition is holding for now, he denies being beholden to a minority of far-right ministers in prolonging an increasingly unpopular conflict.

The Israeli leader also faces backlash over the feasibility, cost, and ethics of a plan to construct a “humanitarian city” from scratch in southern Gaza to house Palestinians if and when a ceasefire takes effect.

Reports suggest Israel’s security establishment is unhappy with the plan, which the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have likened to a concentration camp.

“If Palestinians are forcibly relocated to this new ‘humanitarian city,’ it could be considered a form of ethnic cleansing,” Olmert was quoted as saying by The Guardian late Sunday.

Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel resulted in 1,219 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Of the 251 hostages taken that day, 49 remain in captivity, including 27 the Israeli military believes are deceased.

Israel’s military response has claimed 58,386 Palestinian lives, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. (AFP)