Israeli attacks on Gaza kill three as Hamas, Egypt hold ceasefire talks

Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip have resulted in the deaths of three Palestinians, with several others injured in the southern Rafah province. Concurrently, Hamas officials have visited Cairo to discuss a future ceasefire agreement, and Israel has confirmed it will send a delegation to Qatar to engage in further negotiations.

On Saturday morning, an Israeli drone strike targeted a group of people in eastern Rafah city, killing two Palestinians. Al Jazeera's local correspondent reported that another person was killed by Israeli fire in al-Tanour, east of Rafah. Since Friday evening, Rafah has been the target of intense attacks from Israeli tanks and drones, with shelling affecting residential areas including al-Jnaina, ash-Shawka, and Tal as-Sultan, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The Gaza Health Ministry stated that Israeli attacks have killed at least 48,453 Palestinians and injured 111,860 since October 7, 2023. Meanwhile, the director of the Gaza Government Media Office reported on Saturday, commemorating International Women's Day, that 12,316 women have been killed throughout the war.

"Women's Day comes as Israel continues its siege and prevents aid, with women living in catastrophic humanitarian conditions, suffering from hunger and thirst," Salama Marouf said. Government data indicates that at least 2,000 women and girls have suffered permanent disabilities due to amputations. Civilians in Gaza continue to struggle with a dire humanitarian crisis, further exacerbated by Israel's decision last week to block aid from entering Gaza until Hamas accepts its terms for extending the ceasefire, which had largely halted fighting for over 15 months.

Hamas stated in a statement that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's government is "committing the war crime of collective punishment against more than two million Palestinian civilians for the seventh consecutive day by starving them and depriving them of the basic necessities of life." The statement added, "The impact of this crime extends beyond our people in Gaza to include the occupier prisoners [captives] held by the resistance, who are also affected by the lack of food, medicine, and healthcare."

The first phase of the Israeli-Hamas truce concluded on March 1, enabling crucial food, shelter, and medical aid to enter Gaza. However, the two sides have yet to agree on the next steps. Hamas has been pushing for the commencement of the second phase of the truce, which has been agreed upon in principle, ultimately conditioned on a complete cessation of hostilities in exchange for the release of the remaining captives held by Hamas. Simultaneously, the Israeli government has been pushing to extend the first phase until mid-April in order to achieve the release of more captives. The plan does not rule out the possibility of eventually resuming combat.

On Friday, a high-level Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, to meet with mediators in an effort to establish the next phase of the ceasefire. On Saturday, a Hamas spokesperson stated that there were "positive signs" that negotiations regarding the second phase might begin soon. Concurrently, Netanyahu's office stated that Israel would send a delegation to Doha on Monday to advance the negotiations.

Al Jazeera correspondent Hind Khoudary reported from Gaza City that Palestinians are awaiting any news regarding the agreement. Khoudary reported, "We know that the first phase of the truce ended on March 1, and Israel and Hamas agreed to a week-long ceasefire. Today, that ceasefire agreement is about to end. Palestinians are very anxious and nervous because the second phase of the ceasefire has not yet taken effect. People here are waiting for any news of these negotiations and feel that this ceasefire is very fragile."

She added that while Palestinians await news of a ceasefire, Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid is placing immense pressure on people who are already struggling to survive. "This blockade is suffocating the Palestinians. They say they never thought that the ceasefire and Ramadan would come, and they would not be able to cook their favorite dishes," Khoudary explained, adding that community kitchens are now running out of stock.

Meanwhile, more than 50 released Israeli captives have urged Netanyahu to fully implement a ceasefire in Gaza and ensure the release of those still held captive in Gaza. "We who have experienced hell know that returning to war is life-threatening for those who are still left behind," the 56 former captives said in a letter posted on Instagram. "Fully implement the agreement in a single move."