Hamas says ready for ceasefire talks, Israeli attacks on Gaza kill 18

By Desmond Nleya
Medical sources in Gaza report that Israeli attacks have killed at least 18 people across the besieged enclave since midnight (21:00 GMT, Friday), according to the Palestinian Information Center and the Quds News Network.
Hamas says it is ready to start talks “immediately” on a proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, where the civil defence agency said Israel’s ongoing offensive killed more than 50 people on Thursday.
Hamas ally Islamic Jihad says it supports plans for talks on a truce with Israel in Gaza, but demanded “guarantees” that the process would lead to a permanent ceasefire.
The announcement came after it held consultations with other Palestinian factions and before a visit on Monday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, where President Donald Trump is pushing for an end to the war, now in its 21st month.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 57,268 people and wounded 135,625, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive.