Israel destroyed a high-rise in Gaza City after issuing
evacuation warnings, as part of an escalating offensive to seize control of the
Palestinian city.
The 12-story office building was surrounded by bombs and Hamas observation positions, according to the military.
Israel has demolished a number of high-rise structures in Gaza City in recent days, claiming that Hamas installed surveillance equipment there. Before launching a ground invasion into the city, which is home to almost a million people and is reportedly undergoing starvation, it has issued orders for citizens to leave.
As Arab authorities presented a new U.S. plan for the immediate release of all remaining hostages in exchange for 3,000 Palestinian inmates and a temporary truce, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that he was issuing Hamas his "last warning" about a potential ceasefire.
Although the terrorist organization stated it will continue to negotiate, a senior Hamas official referred to it as a "humiliating surrender document."
Meanwhile, in the most horrific attack on Israelis in almost a year, two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus terminal in Jerusalem, killing six people and wounding 12. In the two years since the conflict was sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7 offensive from Gaza, tensions have skyrocketed throughout Israel and the occupied West Bank.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, 65 individuals were murdered by Israeli fire in the last 24 hours, and 320 more were injured. Their bodies were sent to hospitals.
According to people involved with the negotiations, Witkoff's "last warning" proposal asks for a negotiated end to the conflict and the evacuation of Israeli forces from Gaza after the hostages are freed and a ceasefire is agreed upon.
Hundreds of Palestinians facing life sentences would be included in the prisoner exchange, according to officials from Egypt, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss discussions behind closed doors. Axios was the first to report on the proposal's details.
Speaking to reporters in Hungary, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that Israel had accepted the most recent U.S. approach and hoped it would be successful.
According to senior Hamas leader Bassem Naim, the plan appears to be set up for rejection because it demands that all detainees be released on the first day, that Hamas disarm, and that Israeli soldiers withdraw only once an Israeli-acceptable administration has been established in Gaza.
Ceasefire attempts have been thwarted by disagreements over the end of the war.
In the Oct. 7 onslaught, Hamas-led militants killed almost 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and kidnapped 251 others. About 20 of the 48 hostages who are still inside Gaza are thought to be alive.
Gaza's Health Ministry reports that Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,522 Palestinians, while it does not specify the number of combatants or civilians killed. According to the report, women and children made up about half of the fatalities. Nearly 90% of the 2 million Palestinians living there have been relocated, and large portions of major cities have been totally devastated.
In exchange for Palestinian detainees, a permanent peace, and Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas has stated that it will only return the remaining hostages, which are its only negotiating chip. It declares that it is prepared to cede authority to Palestinians who are politically autonomous.
These offers have been rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has stated that the war will not end until all hostages have been returned and Hamas has been disarmed. He claims that Israel will continue to have unrestricted security control over Gaza and allow for the voluntary departure of a large portion of its inhabitants, which many Palestinians and others interpret as a plan for forced expulsion.
In the past, mediators had concentrated on negotiating a short-term ceasefire and the release of a few hostages, after which the parties would negotiate a longer-term agreement. Following Witkoff's withdrawal from those negotiations in July, Hamas agreed to a proposal that the mediators claimed was nearly identical to one that Israel had previously authorized.
What humanitarian corridors or evacuation plans have been offered to Gaza City residents?
The Israeli military has proclaimed the Al-Mawasi area in
Khan Younis along with areas further south in a region of Khan Younis as still
“humanitarian zones” and moved facilities like al-Rashid Street to
“humanitarian corridors” to which civilians can evacuate or seek shelter. The
IDF has regularly advised residents to head south into these zones before the
military ramped up its offensive on Gaza City.
Israel has issued evacuation orders prior to bombings of parts of Gaza City, alerting civilians to get out of affected buildings/ neighborhoods. However, current "safe zones" are becoming packed, with thousands already internally displaced and having severely limited access to food, water or medical support.
Rafah, Gaza's southern border crossing with Egypt, is a key possible exit and also point for humanitarian deliveries, but entrance to the crossing remains minimal or industrial.