Urgent Ceasefire Demands Surge as US and Israeli Leaders Debate Truce to Halt Gaza’s Rising Violence
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| Photo credit _mainichi.jp |
Israeli Strikes Kill 72 in Gaza, Targeting Aid Seekers as Humanitarian Crisis Worsens
Gaza Strip – Israeli military operations across the Gaza Strip have claimed the lives of at least 72 Palestinians, including desperate civilians seeking food at aid distribution points, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave. Medical sources reported to Al Jazeera on Sunday, June 29, 2025, that the deadly strikes, which began at dawn, targeted multiple locations across Gaza, with at least 47 fatalities recorded in Gaza City and northern areas alone.
The relentless bombardment has deepened the suffering in Gaza, where food shortages, destroyed infrastructure, and restricted aid access have pushed millions to the brink of starvation. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes at aid hubs, where hungry Palestinians, including women and children, were struck while waiting for scarce supplies. The attacks have drawn sharp condemnation from humanitarian organizations, which warn that Gaza’s collapsing healthcare system and dwindling resources are unable to cope with the rising death toll and injuries.
As the violence escalates, calls for an immediate ceasefire have intensified, with international leaders urging Israel and Palestinian factions to halt hostilities. The strikes come amid ongoing discussions between U.S. and Israeli officials about a potential truce, though prospects remain uncertain as Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe worsens by the day.
Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Gaza, Including Aid Seekers, as Hospitals Overwhelm and Crisis Deepens
Gaza Strip Al Jazeera’s Moath al-Kahlout, reporting from Gaza City on June 29, 2025, painted a grim picture of “catastrophic conditions at al-Ahli Hospital, where dozens of wounded civilians, including children, flooded in after Israeli airstrikes pummeled the Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods and al-Zawiya market.
The hospital is overwhelmed, with injured people lying on the floor due to a lack of beds and critical medical supplies, al-Kahlout reported, highlighting the dire shortages crippling Gaza’s healthcare system.
The Israeli military intensified its campaign by dropping leaflets over eastern Gaza City, ordering residents to evacuate south a directive often followed by relentless bombardments that have driven the rising death toll. Sunday’s attacks claimed at least 72 lives, including five Palestinians killed near food distribution centers operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) north of Rafah, according to local medics.
Since late May, when the U.S.- and Israel-backed GHF assumed control of limited aid deliveries amid a suffocating Israeli blockade, violence near distribution sites has surged. The Gaza Government Media Office reports that Israeli forces have shot at Palestinians gathering for aid, killing over 580 people and wounding more than 4,000.
As the humanitarian crisis spirals, with starvation and destruction gripping the enclave, international calls for a ceasefire grow louder, urging an end to the escalating violence.
Israeli Soldiers Ordered to Shoot Unarmed Aid Seekers in Gaza, Sparking Outrage, Says Haaretz Report
Gaza Strip A shocking report by Israel’s Haaretz newspaper on June 29, 2025, revealed that unnamed Israeli soldiers were instructed to fire on crowds of unarmed Palestinians seeking aid to disperse them, intensifying concerns over escalating violence near Gaza’s aid distribution centers. The orders, described by the soldiers, have drawn fierce criticism as the death toll mounts in the besieged enclave.
Human rights lawyer Geoffrey Nice, speaking to Al Jazeera, called the killings around the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) inexplicable and deeply disturbing. It’s staggering that an operation meant to deliver desperately needed aid results in hundreds of deaths at the hands of those facilitating it, said Nice, a former prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Since the U.S.- and Israel-backed GHF began managing limited aid deliveries in late May amid Israel’s blockade, over 580 Palestinians have been killed and more than 4,000 wounded near distribution sites, according to the Gaza Government Media Office. The revelations have fueled global demands for accountability and an immediate ceasefire as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsens.
Our Most Vulnerable Are Dying’: Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as Babies and Toddlers Succumb to Malnutrition
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| Photo credit _Al Jazeera |
Gaza Strip – The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is spiraling out of control, with babies and toddlers dying from severe malnutrition amid a crippling shortage of medical supplies and food, an Australian nurse volunteering in Gaza City reported on June 30, 2025.
Christy Black, speaking to Al Jazeera, described harrowing conditions at her hospital, where a lack of essentials like formula for nasogastric feeding is leaving pregnant women unable to lactate and infants without access to baby formula.
Our most vulnerable are dying, Black said, her voice heavy with urgency. In just the past few days, we’ve lost babies in Gaza City due to malnutrition. The situation is beyond desperate. She highlighted how malnourishment is compounding the crisis, hindering wound healing and fueling a surge in respiratory illnesses triggered by the relentless Israeli bombardment.
The nurse painted a grim picture of children as young as nine or ten, stunted by hunger to resemble toddlers, scavenging through rubble and rubbish for scraps of food.
As Israeli airstrikes continue to devastate the enclave, the lack of adequate aid and medical resources has pushed Gaza’s healthcare system to the brink, leaving millions at risk and amplifying calls for an immediate ceasefire to address the escalating tragedy.
Fresh Push for Gaza Ceasefire Gains Momentum as US and Israel Seek Truce After Iran Conflict
Gaza Strip As Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza continues to claim lives, renewed efforts to secure a ceasefire are gaining traction following the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and the subsequent Israel-Iran ceasefire.
On June 29, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump intensified calls for a Gaza truce, posting on Truth Social, MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!! His remarks followed a Saturday statement expressing optimism about a deal, saying, I think it’s close. I just spoke to some of the people involved.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained silent on the latest truce push, he recently acknowledged ongoing behind-the-scenes talks aimed at securing a 60-day pause in hostilities. The negotiations center on a U.S. proposal from March to extend the first phase of a ceasefire, which Israel breached by resuming its devastating airstrikes on Gaza.
With the humanitarian crisis in the enclave worsening, the renewed diplomatic efforts signal hope for halting the violence and addressing the plight of hostages and civilians caught in the conflict.
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from Amman, Jordan, stated, “Netanyahu faces significant pressure, as Trump has consistently voiced his desire for a Gaza ceasefire.
Before Israel’s strikes on Iran roughly two weeks ago, European allies exerted considerable pressure due to the Israeli military’s actions in the Gaza Strip, she added.
Meanwhile, the Jerusalem District Court postponed this week’s sessions in Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption case, granting his request on undisclosed diplomatic and security grounds.
It remains uncertain whether a social media post by Trump hinting that the trial might hinder Netanyahu’s participation in talks with Hamas and Iran played a role in the court’s ruling.
According to a Reuters-reviewed ruling, fresh justifications from Netanyahu, the Mossad chief, and the military intelligence head warranted the cancellation of the hearings.
In 2019, Netanyahu faced charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, which he vehemently denies, framing the trial as a politically motivated left-wing scheme to oust a democratically elected right-wing leader.
On Friday, the court denied Netanyahu’s request to postpone his testimony for two weeks due to diplomatic and security concerns following the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which concluded last Tuesday.
Netanyahu was scheduled to face cross-examination on Monday.
It’s OUTRAGEOUS what the unchecked prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu, Trump declared in a Truth Social post, asserting that Washington, after providing billions in aid to Israel, would not tolerate this.
An Israeli prosecution spokesperson refrained from commenting on Trump’s statement. Netanyahu reshared Trump’s remarks on X, adding: Thank you, @realDonaldTrump. Together, we’ll bring greatness back to the Middle East!
Trump claimed Netanyahu was currently engaged in talks with Hamas, though neither leader offered specifics, and officials from both sides have expressed doubts about the likelihood of an imminent ceasefire.
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