Israeli Strikes Kill 82 in 24 Hours While Talks Progress on Release of Captives Held by Hamas
Gaza/Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a new deal for the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas could be reached “within a few days,” even as Israeli forces unleashed a devastating 24-hour assault across Gaza.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 82 Palestinians were killed in the latest round of Israeli air and ground attacks. Among the dead were nine civilians seeking aid, highlighting the dire humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave.
The intensified offensive comes as backchannel negotiations continue to secure the freedom of more than 200 captives taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, assault, which killed 1,139 people in Israel. Since then, at least 57,762 Palestinians have been killed and 137,656 wounded, per Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Netanyahu’s comments mark a rare moment of diplomatic optimism amid one of the bloodiest phases of the war. “We are working continuously to bring back our captives, and I hope for a breakthrough in the coming days,” the Israeli leader said.
In the Red Sea, meanwhile, fallout from the broader regional conflict continued. Greece-based Cosmoship Management confirmed that one sailor is presumed dead and four others remain missing after Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked the Eternity C cargo vessel. The attack is part of an ongoing Houthi campaign aimed at disrupting maritime traffic linked to Israel.
As violence persists on multiple fronts—from the ruins of Gaza to the volatile waters of the Red Sea—the death toll continues to rise, and the humanitarian crisis deepens, even as glimpses of diplomatic progress begin to emerge.