Gaza conflict intensifies with mounting civilian toll, stalled ceasefire hopes, and growing pressure on Hamas over the Trump peace proposal
Israel has intensified its siege on Gaza City, with Defense Minister Israel Katz confirming that the army is closing a military corridor across the enclave to the Mediterranean coast. The move, he said, would “tighten the siege” and isolate remaining Hamas fighters inside the city.
Katz issued a stark warning to the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have not yet fled south: those who remain during the assault will be considered “terrorists and supporters of terror.”
Heavy civilian toll and humanitarian crisis
Hospitals in Gaza reported at least 45 deaths on Wednesday due to Israeli fire, while the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced it was forced to suspend operations in Gaza City because of escalating violence.
The ICRC stressed that under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected whether they stay or leave. It also reminded Israel of its obligation as the occupying power to ensure civilians’ basic needs, including medical aid and safe passage for humanitarian assistance.
UN officials say conditions are desperate. Unicef spokesman James Elder described witnessing airstrikes, emaciated children, and exhausted women during his recent visit. Many families cannot afford to evacuate south, he noted, and even those who do face overcrowded camps in al-Mawasi, where tents offer little protection from bombs or disease.
Escalating battles and disputed strikes
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its assault aims to secure the release of the remaining 48 hostages—only 20 believed alive—and to achieve Hamas’s “decisive defeat.”
Yet the offensive has brought further bloodshed. Gaza’s Civil Defence agency accused Israel of directly targeting its rescue teams while they responded to a strike on a school sheltering displaced families. Israel denied the accusation, insisting it targeted a Hamas militant and took steps to reduce civilian harm.
Trump’s peace plan faces rejection
The military escalation coincides with diplomatic pressure on Hamas to accept Donald Trump’s new 20-point peace plan, unveiled earlier this week. The proposal calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, Hamas’s disarmament, and a phased Israeli troop withdrawal.
While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the plan serves Israel’s war aims, far-right ministers criticized it as “dangerous.” A senior Hamas official signaled likely rejection, saying the deal “serves Israel’s interests.”
Trump has warned Hamas leaders that they have only “three or four days” to decide, threatening they will “pay in hell” if they refuse. Meanwhile, Arab and Turkish mediators continue talks in Qatar, pushing for a breakthrough before the humanitarian disaster worsens.