The Israeli military has killed hundreds of Palestinians in the past few days as it expands its ground invasion.
The Israeli military has killed at least 125 Palestinians, including children sleeping in tents, as it unleashed a wave of air raids across the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Sunday.
At least 36 people were killed and more than 100 wounded after Israeli warplanes bombed a tent camp sheltering displaced Palestinians in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
Horrific verified videos from the scene showed many bodies, including some on fire. The dead and wounded were taken to a nearby field hospital and the Nasser Medical Complex.
At least 125 people were killed on Sunday morning, including 42 in the heavily-bombarded northern parts of Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera Arabic. Three journalists were also among the victims.
The death toll has been rising sharply in the past four days, with hundreds massacred as the Israeli military prepares to significantly intensify its ground invasion of the Palestinian territory despite international criticism. At least 53,339 Palestinians have been killed and 121,034 others wounded since the start of the war, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
The Israeli military has been systematically targeting hospitals across the enclave and putting them out of commission, including two in the past week.
The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza was also rendered nonoperational on Sunday after the Israeli army laid siege to it since dawn. Marwan al-Sultan, the director of the facility, which was the last functioning public hospital in the north, described the situation as “catastrophic” and called on international organisations to press for medical teams’ safety.
Hamas said in a statement early on Sunday that the attacks on displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis marked a “brutal crime” that was a flagrant violation of international laws and norms.
“By granting the terrorist occupation government political and military cover, the United States administration bears direct responsibility for this insane escalation in the targeting of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, including children, women, and the elderly,” the Palestinian group said.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel’s expanding operation in Gaza. “I am alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more,” he said on X on Saturday.
Deal to ‘end’ war must include Hamas exile
On Saturday, both Israel and Hamas confirmed that more mediated talks were under way in Qatar.
Israel emphasised that the talks are being held with no conditions, including the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been completely blocked since March 2 despite looming famine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled on Sunday that his government may be open to either a partial or a comprehensive agreement, but only under strict conditions.
“Even at this very moment, the negotiation team in Doha is working to exhaust every possibility for a deal – whether according to the Witkoff framework or as part of ending the fighting, which would include the release of all the hostages, the exile of Hamas terrorists, and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip,” his office said in a statement, in reference to White House envoy Steve Witkoff.
His office also slammed former Israeli negotiator Oren Setter, who resigned from the team in October and said in a February interview that Netanyahu had squandered two opportunities last year that would have released captives in exchange for ending the war.
Setter, a retired brigadier general, criticised Netanyahu on Sunday, telling public broadcaster Kan that he is concerned the government will once again “miss the opportunity” of a comprehensive agreement in favour of a potential partial deal.
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday called on Netanyahu to pull the negotiating team back from Doha talks and refrain from signing any deal with Hamas. He emphasised that Hamas must be completely defeated, fulfilling a war goal set out by Israel from the start.
