At least 40 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, hospital officials said, as diplomatic efforts intensified to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The latest wave of strikes came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a second meeting in two days with US President Donald Trump at the White House. The US is pushing a new ceasefire proposal that would pause the conflict, allow the release of Israeli hostages, and facilitate aid delivery into Gaza.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported that the dead included 17 women and 10 children. One airstrike reportedly killed 10 members of the same family, including three children.
The Israeli military said it had targeted over 100 sites in Gaza within the past 24 hours, citing militants, weapons facilities, tunnels, and booby-trapped structures. It did not comment on specific strikes.
Palestinians in Gaza remain skeptical about the negotiations, fearing another short-lived truce. “We want a full ceasefire,” said Abeer al-Najjar, who lives in a tent in the Muwasi displacement zone. Her husband described the severe water shortages and intense heat as unbearable.
Others echoed similar concerns. “We had expected ceasefires on many occasions, but it was for nothing,” said Amani Abu-Omar, who said water trucks only come every four days, leaving her children dehydrated and suffering from heat-related rashes.
After his meetings in Washington, Netanyahu said he and Trump shared “full alignment” on the goal of eliminating Hamas. He also highlighted increased cooperation between Israel and the US, calling it the strongest in Israel’s 77-year history.
Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to travel to Doha later this week for indirect talks with Hamas. He noted that progress had been made on several key issues, though one major point of disagreement remains unresolved.
Netanyahu also said he and Trump discussed recent joint Israeli-American strikes against Iranian targets and the potential to expand normalisation agreements under the Abraham Accords, with the US continuing efforts to bring Saudi Arabia into the fold.