Eyes on possible Gaza truce as war shows no sign of ending
GAZA CITY
Attention has shifted towards a potential truce agreement in the Gaza Strip amid positive signals from the U.S., after the 12-day air war between Iran and Israel concluded with a ceasefire.
Palestinians and hostage families —caught in the 21-month-long war — have largely slipped from the front pages, overshadowed by the escalating blows between two of the Middle East’s most powerful nations as
the Iran-Israel conflict dominated the headlines for two weeks.
Yet in Gaza, Israel’s offensive shows no signs of letting up, with Israeli strikes having killed hundreds since the Iran-Israel conflict erupted.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on June 25 he believed that "great progress" was being made to bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
"I think great progress is being made on Gaza, I think because of this attack that we made," said Trump, suggesting the U.S. strikes on Iran could have a positive impact on the Middle East.
Following Trump’s remarks, a senior Hamas official told AFP that talks for a ceasefire in Gaza "intensified in recent hours" with mediator countries.
"Our communications with the brother mediators in Egypt and Qatar have not stopped and have intensified in recent hours," Taher al-Nunu said, adding that the group had "not yet received any new proposals" to bring an end to the war.
Some Palestinians in Gaza City expressed frustration that the war in the territory has dragged on for nearly two years, while the conflict between Israel and Iran appeared to have ended.
“I live in a tent and now my tent is gone too and we’re living in suffering here. The war between Israel and Iran ended in less than two weeks and we’ve been dying for two years,” said Um Zidan, a displaced woman from the north.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum also called for the ceasefire between Israel and Iran to be expanded to include Gaza.
Meanwhile, seven Israeli soldiers were killed in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis when their armored vehicle was struck by an explosive.
