During the night to Saturday, Israel's military intensified its attacks on a large scale against targets in Gaza. More than 150 Gazans have been killed in Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled health ministry.
Israeli ground troops are reported to have advanced towards Dayr al-Balah in central Gaza. Heavy artillery fire and intense airstrikes are being reported from the area.
The attacks come after Israel said it had launched the first phase of a new large-scale offensive against the Gaza Strip. The objective of the offensive is to "conquer Gaza", move the population south, and prevent Hamas from taking control of humanitarian aid, the military claims according to Israeli media.
A representative of Hamas says, according to the news agency AFP, that indirect talks are underway in Qatar's capital Doha.
Hamas will present the movement's views on all issues – but especially on a ceasefire, withdrawal, and exchange of prisoners, says Taher al-Nunu from Hamas.
International Criticism
An Israeli source says that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the country's negotiating delegation to remain in Qatar.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke again on the phone with Netanyahu on Saturday.
"They discussed the situation in Gaza and their joint efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages", says Rubio's spokesperson Tammy Bruce in a statement.
International criticism came from several quarters during the day. The Arab League agreed in a top meeting on a final communiqué that the parties must "stop the bloodshed" and ensure that aid reaches Gaza, but the meeting avoided specifically mentioning Israel.
In a separate statement, the government said it was "deeply concerned" about Israel's offensive.
"Humanitarian Tragedy"
EU Council President António Costa writes on X that Israel's government "must lift the blockade" against Gaza and that the population is being subjected to disproportionate violence.
"What is happening in Gaza is a humanitarian tragedy. An entire people are being subjected to crushing, disproportionate military force. International law is being systematically violated", Costa writes.
At the same time, hunger and the threat of starvation are acute in Gaza. UN agencies have been warning for weeks that food stocks are empty and that medical supplies are exhausted. Israel has stopped aid to Gaza since March 2.
In total, more than 3,000 people in Gaza have been killed since Israel unilaterally broke the truce on March 18.
