Gaza city: The Israeli army has killed 118 Palestinians over the past four days through air and artillery strikes across the Gaza Strip, despite a call by US President Donald Trump to halt the bombardments, as reported by the Gaza Government Media Office.
According to Anadolu Agency, Israeli forces have continued their operations against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, ignoring the ceasefire call announced by President Trump and the positive response to his proposal. The Gaza Government Media Office stated that from dawn on Saturday, October 4, to the end of Tuesday, October 7, Israel conducted over 230 air and artillery strikes targeting densely populated civilian and displacement areas across Gaza's governorates, resulting in what they termed as 'clear massacres.'
The strikes have claimed the lives of 118 civilians, including women and children, with a significant number of 72 fatalities reported in Gaza City alone. The Gaza Government Media Office has held Israel fully responsible for the attacks and has urged the US administration and the international community to take serious, effective, and urgent action to stop the aggression and establish a real ceasefire.
President Trump, on Saturday, urged Israel to halt its bombardment of Gaza immediately following a positive response from the Palestinian group Hamas to his 20-point ceasefire proposal. On Sunday evening, Trump mentioned on his Truth Social platform that weekend ceasefire talks were 'positive' and 'proceeding rapidly.'
Israel and Hamas resumed indirect negotiations on Monday in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, with mediation by Egypt and Qatar. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty indicated earlier Tuesday that the talks aim to create conditions for a hostage-prisoner exchange and the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. He also noted that the discussions seek agreement on maps for Israeli force redeployments as a prelude to a withdrawal from the territory.
Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have resulted in the deaths of more than 67,100 Palestinians in the enclave, predominantly women and children, leaving the area uninhabitable.