The Israeli military pressed ahead with fresh strikes in the Gaza Strip Friday after negotiators pursuing a long-stalled truce agreement left talks in Cairo without having secured a deal. Witnesses reported air strikes and fighting in the territory’s main urban areas, particularly Khan Younis and Rafah on the territory’s southern border with Egypt, a day after Palestinian officials said a massive Israeli strike in Jabalya refugee camp had left apocalyptic scenes of death and destruction.
In a video message, Hamas military chief Ismail Haniyeh accused Israel of “sabotaging” a possible deal with Qatar and Egypt, but Israel denied the accusation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he “remains committed to reaching an agreement on a comprehensive, long-term truce” in Gaza, as well as the release of Israel’s remaining hostages.
The two sides are seeking a six-to-eight-week pause in the bloody conflict that began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack and incursion into southern Israel. The plan would involve a significant prisoner swap and Israel’s withdrawal from parts of the territory, along with the opening of crossings for residents to move freely between northern and southern Gaza.
Sources close to the ongoing U.S.-brokered negotiations say a deal could be reached early next week. They say it would involve a gradual, phased release of the 133 Israeli prisoners that Hamas has taken since the Oct. 7 raid in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. It would also involve Israel withdrawing from the towns of Kfar Kara and Netzarim on the Gaza-Israel border, as well as the disputed maritime boundary with Egypt’s Gulf of Aden.
Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in the southern Gaza cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, where fighting has raged. Video filmed by NBC News showed families packed up their belongings and walking away from the city, with cars driving behind them carrying stacked mattresses and rolled-up blankets.
Gazans are also struggling to cope with the loss of power, cut off by an Israeli siege that has lasted six months. The electricity crisis has been made worse by a series of devastating strikes by Israel. The latest on Tuesday night tore through the power grid in the densely populated area. It left the city of 1.5 million in darkness after nightfall.
The United Nations Children’s Fund warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe in the impoverished territory, where nearly one in three children under the age of 2 years suffer from acute malnutrition. It cited a sharp increase in hospital admissions and deaths and a deterioration in the ability to get essential supplies.
AFP journalists in the Gaza Strip have been able to report on the war thanks to the boundless inventiveness of technician Ahmed Eissa, who has found ways to keep his cameras and computers operational despite the frequent power and Internet cuts. He uses solar panels to recharge his equipment and has devised ingenious workarounds for the erratic internet connection. Despite so much danger and destruction, his efforts to document the war have earned him international recognition as a tenacious, brave journalist.
