At Least 49 Killed in Israeli Strikes on Gaza as Mediators Push to Revive Ceasefire

Palestinians bid farewell to their relatives who were killed in Israeli airstrikes early this morning on Yaffa School, in Gaza City, Wednesday, April 23, 2025

At least 49 people were killed in Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours in Gaza, according to health officials, as Arab mediators work urgently to restart stalled ceasefire talks. An early morning airstrike on a neighborhood in western Gaza City flattened a three-story house, killing 10 people. Gaza’s Health Ministry confirmed the death toll, along with the deaths of three more individuals in the nearby Shati refugee camp along the coastline. There has been no immediate comment from Israel regarding the strikes.

The renewed violence comes as Hamas announced Saturday that a high-level delegation has been sent to Cairo to discuss efforts to revive a ceasefire agreement. Israel, which ended a previous ceasefire last month, maintains that its objectives are the return of all hostages and the destruction, disarmament, or exile of Hamas leadership. Israeli officials have indicated intentions to hold parts of Gaza indefinitely and implement a controversial plan for population resettlement, originally proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which has been widely rejected by the international community.

Palestinian children receive donated food at a distribution center in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, April 21, 2025.

Hamas reiterated that it would only release the dozens of hostages still in captivity in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the establishment of a permanent ceasefire, as outlined in the defunct agreement reached earlier this year. The delegation sent to Egypt will present Hamas’s vision for ending the conflict, which includes the total withdrawal of Israeli forces and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Earlier this week, additional Hamas representatives arrived in Cairo to discuss a broader proposal involving a five-to-seven year truce and the release of all remaining hostages. Egyptian and Qatari officials continue to develop this proposal, which envisions a gradual Israeli withdrawal and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners, according to sources familiar with the negotiations who spoke under condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, Gaza faces an escalating humanitarian crisis as Israel's near two-month blockade tightens. Aid organizations have warned that supplies are critically low. The World Food Program announced Friday that its food stocks in Gaza have been depleted, ending a crucial lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. The last supplies were delivered to charity kitchens supported by the WFP, which are expected to run out of food within days. Approximately 80% of Gaza’s population—over 2 million people—now relies primarily on these charity kitchens for daily meals, according to United Nations data.

Israel’s ongoing offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The figures do not distinguish between civilians and militants. Israeli authorities claim they have killed approximately 20,000 Hamas militants, but have not provided detailed evidence to substantiate this figure.

The conflict originated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and abducting 251 individuals. Hamas currently holds 59 hostages, with 24 believed to be alive, following several releases through ceasefire agreements and other negotiated deals.