Israeli Strikes Continue in Gaza Despite Trump’s Ceasefire Call, 70 Killed

Darwin, October 5 —

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for a ceasefire and Hamas’ partial acceptance of a 20-point peace plan, Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip have continued unabated.

According to a report by Al Jazeera citing local medical sources in Gaza, at least 70 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in Saturday’s airstrikes.

Among the dead, at least 45 were residents of famine-stricken Gaza City.

In recent days, Israeli forces have intensified their operations in the region, forcing nearly one million residents to flee toward the overcrowded southern areas.

According to doctors, an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City killed 18 people and injured many others.

The attack also damaged several nearby buildings. Gaza’s Civil Defense Agency confirmed in a statement on Telegram that among the dead were seven children aged between two months and eight years.

The most alarming incident came from the southern area of Al-Mawasi. The Israeli military had declared the region a so-called “safe humanitarian zone” and ordered Palestinian families to relocate there — yet it was also targeted in an airstrike.

Two children were killed and at least eight others injured in the attack on Al-Mawasi.

Airstrikes were also reported in the central Gaza Nuseirat refugee camp and other locations.

Trump’s Ultimatum and Netanyahu’s Conditions

On Saturday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, urging Hamas to release hostages quickly and finalize his war-ending plan, warning that otherwise “all bets are off.”

Trump wrote:

“I will not tolerate any delays — which many expect — nor will I accept any outcome where Gaza again becomes a threat. Let’s get this done quickly. Everyone will be treated fairly!”

In a later post, Trump said Israel had agreed to a preliminary “withdrawal line” and that this was shared with Hamas as part of the process.

He added:

“As soon as Hamas confirms, the ceasefire will take immediate effect, hostage and prisoner exchanges will begin, and we’ll prepare for the next stage of withdrawal.”

The first phase of Trump’s plan reportedly includes the release of all hostages, alive or dead, in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

A White House official confirmed that Trump is sending his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Egypt to finalize the technical details of the prisoner exchange and work on a long-term peace agreement.

Egypt will host both Israeli and Hamas delegations for discussions on the matter this coming Monday.

Speaking to journalists from Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s participation in the talks and reiterated that the U.S. proposal includes the disarmament of Hamas.

He stated:

“Either through Trump’s proposal or through Israeli military action, that objective will be achieved.”

Netanyahu’s ‘Lies’ and Hamas’ Concerns

Condemning the continued airstrikes, Hamas claimed the ongoing attacks prove Netanyahu lied about halting aggression following Trump’s call.

A Hamas statement read:

“The Zionist occupation forces continue their horrific crimes and genocide against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas called on the international community — especially Islamic and Arab nations — to take “urgent measures” to protect Palestinian civilians.

Adnan Hayajneh, a professor of international relations and U.S. foreign policy at Qatar University, told Al Jazeera that Hamas is demanding a clear picture of Gaza’s future governance structure and guarantees for the implementation of the remaining parts of Trump’s 20-point plan.

He added that Arab leaders also raised concerns with Trump about certain aspects of the plan:

“But most of the objections — related to governance, military forces, and the future of weapons in Gaza — were not seriously addressed.”

He said:

“If you look at the plan, it’s almost like asking Hamas to surrender.”

According to him, Hamas is keeping the hostages as a final bargaining chip in this high-stakes negotiation.

According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Israeli assault.