Israeli airstrikes and tank fire pounded eastern Gaza City overnight, killing at least 11 people, according to witnesses and medics, as Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Cairo for talks aimed at reviving a U.S.-backed cease-fire plan.
The latest round of indirect negotiations in Qatar broke down in late July, with Israel and Hamas exchanging blame over stalled progress on a U.S. proposal for a 60-day truce and a hostage release agreement.
Since then, Israel has announced plans for a new offensive to retake Gaza City, which it initially captured shortly after the conflict erupted in October 2023 before withdrawing.
Hamas’ meetings with Egyptian officials, scheduled to begin Wednesday, will focus on ways to stop the war, deliver aid, and “end the suffering of our people in Gaza,” Hamas official Taher al-Nono said in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to expand military control over Gaza, expected to be launched in October, has fueled global outcry over the widespread devastation, displacement, and hunger afflicting Gaza’s 2.2 million residents.
