Rising death toll and diplomatic frustration mark another tense day in Gaza
GAZA CITY — At least 25 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. The renewed violence comes amid a diplomatic deadlock in ceasefire negotiations, with Qatari mediators expressing mounting frustration over the lack of progress.
The strikes resumed following the collapse of a two-month ceasefire, with Israel launching a fresh wave of air and ground operations on March 18. Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal said the attacks had resulted in dozens of injuries as well. A separate drone strike in eastern Rafah killed five civilians.
Since operations resumed, Gaza’s health ministry — run by Hamas — reports that over 1,827 people have died in the latest wave of violence.
Israeli Military Admits “Mistakes” in Strike That Killed Medics
In a related development, the Israeli military has acknowledged “operational failures” in an airstrike that killed 15 Palestinian emergency responders on March 23 near Rafah. While the army denied claims of indiscriminate fire, it admitted multiple protocol violations.
An internal probe found that a deputy commander would be dismissed for mismanaging the incident and for filing an incomplete and inaccurate report. The medics had been responding to a distress call when they came under fire. Their bodies were later found buried near their vehicles in what the UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, described as a mass grave.
International outrage followed the incident, with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warning of potential war crimes.
Israel claimed that militants were among those in the convoy, but added: “The IDF regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians.”
Qatar Expresses Discontent Over Slow Ceasefire Progress
Qatar, one of the main mediators in the ceasefire negotiations alongside the U.S. and Egypt, voiced its dissatisfaction with the stalled talks.
“This is an urgent matter. Lives are at stake every single day this military operation continues,” said Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s chief negotiator, in an interview with AFP.
Efforts to extend the truce — originally brokered in January and paused in early March — have stalled over disagreements on hostage releases and ceasefire terms. Most recently, Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal for a 45-day ceasefire that included the release of 10 hostages.
Despite the roadblocks, Al-Khulaifi emphasized that negotiations will continue: “We will remain committed, in spite of the difficulties.”
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deepen as diplomatic efforts falter and the civilian death toll rises. All eyes now turn to whether regional and international pressure can reinvigorate stalled peace efforts before more lives are lost.
