Gaza City, (TDI): Israeli airstrikes have killed 81 Palestinians, including 20 children and 25 women, and injured over 230 others in Gaza since the announcement of a ceasefire agreement on Wednesday, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The fatalities raise the death toll of the 15-month conflict to 46,788, with over 110,000 wounded amid Israel’s ongoing military offensive.
Rescue services reported that 61 of the casualties occurred in Gaza City as Israeli bombardments intensified, despite the pending ceasefire.
The truce, brokered by Qatar and the United States, is scheduled to take effect on Sunday.
It includes provisions for a prisoner exchange, where Israeli hostages will be swapped for Palestinian detainees, and lays the groundwork for a permanent resolution to the war.
Hamas and Israel Trade Accusations
Hamas has reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the group of reneging on certain terms. Netanyahu’s office stated that the Israeli cabinet would not convene to approve the deal until mediators confirmed Hamas had agreed to all conditions.
Hamas political bureau member Sami Abu Zuhri dismissed these accusations, calling them baseless.
The ceasefire deal follows months of stalled negotiations to end the deadliest Israeli military campaign in Gaza’s history, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
The UN considers the health ministry’s figures on Gaza casualties reliable, showing that women and children make up the majority of the dead.
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Negotiations in Qatar remain ongoing, with Israeli Mossad chief David Barnea and other officials working to finalize the deal.
However, internal disagreements within Netanyahu’s ruling coalition are reportedly delaying the process.
Far-right cabinet members, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, have publicly criticized the agreement. Smotrich labeled it a “dangerous deal,” while Ben Gvir called it “disastrous.”
Details of the Ceasefire Agreement
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani announced that the agreement includes a 42-day initial truce during which 33 hostages—primarily women, children, elderly, and wounded civilians—will be released.
Israeli forces will gradually withdraw from Gaza’s densely populated areas, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.
Humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and fuel, will be allowed to flow into the enclave.
US President Joe Biden expressed satisfaction with the agreement, describing the negotiations as among the toughest of his presidency.
Former US President Donald Trump also praised the deal, calling it an “epic ceasefire agreement” on social media.
International Support and UN Concerns
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi emphasized the urgency of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, with plans underway to reopen the Rafah border crossing.
The UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, also welcomed the agreement, while stressing the need for uninterrupted humanitarian access.
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“What’s needed is rapid, unhindered and uninterrupted humanitarian access to respond to the tremendous suffering caused by this war,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on X.
The ceasefire agreement, if fully implemented, offers a chance for de-escalation in one of the region’s longest and most devastating conflicts.
