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200 dead in Israel-Hamas airstrikes amid ceasefire talks

200 dead in Israel-Hamas airstrikes amid ceasefire talks

Posted January. 07, 2025 08:01,   

Updated January. 07, 2025 08:01

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As ceasefire negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas continue to falter, more than 200 Palestinians were reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza from January 3 to 5. Analysts are describing the escalating casualties as a "paradox of ceasefire negotiations," with both sides holding firm on their core demands—Israel on the release of hostages and Hamas on the cessation of airstrikes—while the death toll rises.

According to Al Jazeera on Sunday, Gaza's Ministry of Health reported that 88 Palestinians were killed and 208 injured in Israeli airstrikes that day. The ministry also confirmed that 77 and 59 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Al Jazeera cited Gaza's Ministry of Health, stating, “The majority of airstrike victims are women and children.” Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced that it targeted over 100 locations in Gaza where Hamas operatives were believed to be stationed. The strikes were reportedly concentrated in the central and northern parts of the Gaza Strip.

The airstrikes occurred as ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas resumed on January 3 in Doha, Qatar. However, significant progress has yet to be made due to sharp differences in the demands of the two sides. Israel has prioritized the release of hostages taken during Hamas’s large-scale attack on October 7, 2023, while Hamas has insisted on an end to Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.


Hyun-Seok Lim lhs@donga.com