Massacre toll 32,782
The number of deaths due to the persistent Israeli aggression on Gaza has risen to 32,782 martyrs and 75,298 wounded since October, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported in a statement Sunday.
Palestinian health officials and Hamas media said a strike hit several tents inside the Al-Aqsa Hospital, killing four people and wounding several, including five journalists.
More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military offensive in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the health authorities. Health officials say most of the fatalities are civilians, while Israel says at least a third are fighters.
The two sides have stepped up negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, on a six-week suspension of Israel's offensive in return for the proposed release of 40 of 130 hostages still held by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in Gaza.
Netanyahu to undergo hernia surgery
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will undergo surgery on Sunday for a hernia, his office said. "On Saturday night, during a routine checkup for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a hernia was found," his office said in a statement, adding that the 74-year-old leader will be under general anaesthetic during his surgery later on Sunday.
"I doubt that there will be any progress in these negotiations because the positions are too far apart. Netanyahu is not serious and not interested," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
Hamas says any deal must secure an end to the fighting and withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israel has ruled this out, saying it would eventually resume efforts to dismantle the governing and military capabilities of Hamas.
Hamas would not be present at the talks in Cairo, an official said, as it waited to hear from mediators on whether a new Israeli offer was on the table.
In the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Israeli forces continued to blockade the two main hospitals, and tanks shelled areas in the middle and eastern areas of the territory.
Palestinian health officials said an Israeli air strike killed nine people in Bani Suhaila near Khan Younis, while another air strike killed four people in Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip.
In Gaza City, Israeli forces continued to operate inside Al Shifa Hospital, the territory's biggest, the health ministry said.
