Hamas seeks ceasefire guarantees as Israel intensifies Gaza attacks

By Staff Reporter
US President Donald Trump says he wants “safety” for people in Gaza, as he prepares to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week to push for a ceasefire.
Hamas is seeking guarantees that a new US-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza would lead to the war’s end, a source close to the group said, as medics said Israeli strikes across the territory had killed dozens more people.
Netanyahu pledges to bring home all the captives still held by Hamas in war-stricken Gaza, where the civil defence agency said 73 people were killed Thursday in his country’s ongoing offensive.
Former European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has accused US-linked armed groups of killing hundreds of starving Palestinians in Gaza, while criticising the EU’s alleged inaction.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 57,130 people and wounded 134,592, 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.