Qatar on Tuesday urged swift progress on a Gaza ceasefire after Hamas signalled a “positive response” to an Arab-backed proposal, though Israel has yet to reply as its forces prepare an offensive in densely populated areas.
The possible expansion of Israel’s assault on Gaza City and surrounding areas sheltering hundreds of thousands has drawn international concern. Palestinians say there is nowhere left to flee after 22 months of war that has killed tens of thousands and devastated much of the territory.
“They are talking about a 60-day truce, and after Israel gets its hostages they will strike us again,” said Huda Rishe, displaced four times since the war began. “We will return to Gaza City and then leave again. We have lost hope.”
AP reporters saw some families fleeing Gaza City for central parts of the enclave. In Israel, hundreds of thousands rallied on Sunday, fearing the offensive will further endanger the remaining hostages — of whom just 20 of 50 are thought to be alive.
“If this ceasefire proposal fails, the crisis will exacerbate,” said Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry. He said Hamas had accepted terms under discussion, describing them as nearly identical to a plan once advanced by US envoy Steve Witkoff. That proposal envisaged a 60-day truce with partial hostage releases and talks on a permanent ceasefire.
Egypt, also mediating, is pushing for a phased deal, and invited Witkoff to rejoin the talks after he walked away last month accusing Hamas of bad faith. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held calls with counterparts from the UK, Turkey and the EU, urging pressure on Israel to accept the plan. “The ball is now in Israel’s court,” he said.
An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, said the government’s stance is unchanged. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged only temporary pauses to allow hostage releases, insisting the war will continue until Hamas is defeated and disarmed.
Hospitals in Gaza said they received 34 bodies on Tuesday, including women and children, after Israeli strikes. Nasser Hospital reported an airstrike killed a couple and their three children in a camp at Muwasi. “An entire family was gone in an instant. What was their fault?” their grandfather said.
Aid agencies said civilians seeking supplies remain under grave risk. Nine people were reported killed while queuing for assistance near UN and Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites. Witnesses and rights groups say hundreds have died since Israel partially lifted its blockade in May. Israel insists it only fires warning shots.
Gaza’s Health Ministry puts the Palestinian death toll at more than 62,000, about half of them women and children, with others dying from malnutrition. Since late June, 154 adults and 112 children have reportedly died from hunger-related causes. Hamas launched the war on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people in Israel and abducting 251.
Israel’s COGAT said 370 trucks of aid entered Gaza on Tuesday, still below the 600 daily required by the UN, while 180 pallets were airdropped with help from Jordan, the UAE and France. The UN has criticised airdrops as costly, inefficient and dangerous for civilians.