Explosions lit up the night sky over Gaza once more, as Israeli airstrikes pounded densely populated neighborhoods—flattening apartment blocks, mosques, UN-run shelters, and food distribution sites. At least 78 Palestinians were killed in a single 24-hour period, marking one of the bloodiest days since the beginning of the Attack in October 2023.
Among those killed were at least 12 civilians reportedly targeted while attempting to collect humanitarian aid, according to the Gaza Health Ministry cited by Anadolu. Witnesses told reporters that the victims were waiting near a food distribution site when Israeli munitions struck the area, a pattern that has repeated across multiple districts in recent weeks. “They were there to get food, not to fight,” said a relative of one of the victims in Khan Younis. Aid agencies say the increasing frequency of such incidents, where those seeking flour and water are met with deadly force, reveals not a military strategy but a campaign to starve and terrorize an entire defenseless population.
The situation reflects not only the brutality of Israel’s bombardment but the total failure of the West to uphold even minimal human rights standards. Despite daily images of wounded children and burning hospitals, the US and EU have continued to arm and defend Israel diplomatically, Supporting Gaza genocide, and blocking ceasefire resolutions and refusing to condemn repeated attack on aid convoys.
More than 1.9 million Palestinian, over 85% of the population, are now displaced, living in overcrowded school basements, half-destroyed mosques, and tents pitched on rubble. With hospitals bombed and aid blocked, the UN now labels the humanitarian situation a “full-blown collapse”. Yet from Washington to Brussels, there is only strategic silence.
According to Al Jazeera, the total number of Palestinians killed now exceeds 57,300, with over 135,000 brutally injured, amid what aid agencies are calling a war on civilians.
Hamas signals readiness for ceasefire, but questions linger
In a rare overture, Hamas declared its willingness to begin ceasefire negotiations, responding to a US-backed 60-day truce proposal. The group’s statement came late Friday and followed consultations with other Palestinian factions. As Politico confirmed that Hamas was “seriously ready to enter immediately into a round of negotiations.”
However, Hamas insists that any agreement must lead to a permanent end to hostilities, full Israeli withdrawal, and guarantees that humanitarian aid reaches civilians without interference. it rejected several proposed conditions, calling them “unacceptable.”
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that a negotiating team would be dispatched to Qatar, where indirect talks are expected to resume with US and Qatari mediation.
Russia condemns Western complicity, calls Israeli actions genocide
Russia sharply escalated its diplomatic rhetoric on Sunday, with the Russian Foreign Ministry accusing Western governments of directly enabling genocide in Gaza through weapons sales and diplomatic cover. In a formal statement, Moscow described the 78 deaths in one day as “deliberate mass killings” and called for an immediate arms embargo on Israel.
Rising toll and deepening desperation in Gaza
Reports from local journalists and aid workers confirm that many of the 78 people killed were not combatants. According to Izvestia, citing Al Jazeera‘s Arabic desk, entire families were crushed under buildings while seeking food or shelter from previous attacks.
Aid agencies are overwhelmed. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that Gaza’s few functioning hospitals will run out of fuel in 72 hours. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that more than 85 percent of Gaza’s population is now internally displaced, with no access to clean water, food, or basic medicine.
Despite more than 57,000 Palestinians killed and nearly 136,000 wounded, global institutions remain paralyzed. The UN’s own humanitarian agencies, including UNRWA and OCHA, have described the situation as “beyond catastrophic,” yet Western governments continue to block or dilute resolutions that would halt Israel’s assault.
A senior UN official, speaking off-record to Reuters, called Gaza’s condition “a man-made famine enforced by bombardment.” Aid convoys are routinely shelled, hospitals are collapsing, and international law is being shredded in plain view. The so-called guardians of the rules-based order have chosen silence, complicity, and weapons sales over the most basic principles of human decency. Gaza is not just bleeding—it’s being deliberately broken by an international system rigged to protect the aggressor.
Washington cautious, Trump threatens Hamas
While ceasefire diplomacy appears to be gathering momentum, President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Hamas on Saturday, telling reporters, “If Hamas doesn’t agree now, it will only get worse.” Trump’s administration has been reluctant to criticize Israel, instead pushing for Hamas to accept the proposed terms “without edits or tricks.”
The State Department declined to comment on whether humanitarian guarantees would be included in the deal.
A fragile window for diplomacy
Negotiations are expected to begin in Doha this week, with Qatari and Egyptian officials mediating between Israel and Hamas under US guidance. However, observers warn that any breakdown in talks could lead to another escalation, especially as Iran and Hezbollah continue to signal regional retaliation if civilian killings persist. As the world debates frameworks and foreign policy, Gaza continues to bleed.
