Negotiators from Hamas, Israel, and several international mediators have gathered in Egypt to initiate peace talks aimed at ending the two-year conflict in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of more than 67,000 Palestinians and reduced the entire enclave to rubble.
The discussions, expected to continue over the next few days, have drawn participation from representatives of the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. However, despite the ongoing negotiations, violence has continued unabated in the region.
On Monday alone, at least 10 Palestinians were killed in fresh Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire, according to reports from Al Jazeera, BBC, and CNN. Since Friday (October 3), when US President Donald Trump called on Israel to halt its offensive, over 104 people have been killed in Gaza.
President Trump has urged all parties to “move fast” to end the bloodshed and warned of severe consequences for Hamas if it refuses to relinquish power in Gaza. “We will obliterate Hamas if they do not step aside,” he said in a strongly worded statement.
Escalation beyond Gaza
In the occupied West Bank, violence has also surged. Israeli settlers reportedly attacked peace activists and uprooted 120 Palestinian-owned olive trees near Ramallah, escalating tensions in the area.
In southern Lebanon, an Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle near Zebdine, killing two people. This marks a widening of the conflict beyond the Gaza Strip, further complicating the regional security landscape.
Meanwhile, Israel has deported 171 activists from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Lawyers representing the detainees claim they were mistreated and denied basic rights while in Israeli custody.
A recent YouGov poll revealed shifting public sentiment in the United Kingdom, with 57% of Britons now viewing Israel’s actions in Gaza as unjustified—a six-point increase since July.
Vatican issues strongest condemnation
The Vatican has condemned the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, calling it an “inhuman massacre.”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, expressed deep concern in an interview with L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s official newspaper. He described the military campaign as “targeting a largely defenceless population, already pushed to the brink,” and criticized the international community for its inaction.
“The evil that led to the Holocaust must not rise again,” warned Parolin, while also cautioning against the growing wave of antisemitism. He noted that many voices within the global Jewish community have strongly opposed the current Israeli government’s handling of the situation in Gaza and the occupied territories.
Parolin urged global powers with influence to act decisively to end the violence, emphasizing that “the international community has, unfortunately, been powerless.”
