Israeli airstrikes killed at least 58 people across Gaza on Monday, marking one of the heaviest days of bombardment in weeks, even as top Israeli officials arrived in Washington to discuss a proposed ceasefire deal championed by the Trump administration.

The renewed violence follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s appeal for an end to the 20-month-long conflict, urging Israeli leaders to “make the deal in Gaza, get the hostages back.” On Monday, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was scheduled to meet White House officials to negotiate terms of a potential ceasefire, broader regional diplomacy, and concerns over Iran.

Despite mounting international pressure, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders in northern Gaza, prompting another wave of mass displacement. Residents reported relentless airstrikes and tank shelling in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood and surrounding areas. According to local health authorities, the day’s death toll included 10 killed in Zeitoun, 13 in the southwestern outskirts, and 20 civilians — including women, children, and a journalist — at a beachfront café in Gaza City.

“Explosions never stopped; they bombed schools and homes. It felt like earthquakes,” said Salah, a 60-year-old father of five in Gaza City.

The Israeli military stated it was targeting Hamas militant infrastructure and had taken steps to minimize civilian casualties. However, Gaza’s health ministry reported widespread civilian deaths, and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate noted the death of another journalist, bringing the total killed since the war began in October 2023 to more than 220.

Israel’s renewed ground operations come amid ongoing ceasefire mediation efforts led by Egypt and Qatar. A senior Hamas official stated that progress hinges on Israel’s willingness to end hostilities and withdraw from Gaza — a condition Israel continues to reject, insisting the war will only end once Hamas is fully disarmed and dismantled.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel had agreed to a U.S.-proposed 60-day truce in exchange for the release of half the remaining hostages. The plan would also involve the release of Palestinian prisoners and the repatriation of Palestinian remains, followed by a phased hostage release and eventual cessation of hostilities.

Austria’s Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, speaking alongside her Israeli counterpart in Jerusalem, called for an immediate ceasefire and criticized the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza. “The suffering of civilians is increasingly burdening Israel’s relations with Europe,” she warned, demanding uninterrupted humanitarian aid and the unconditional release of hostages by Hamas.

Israel maintains it continues to allow aid into the enclave and accuses Hamas of commandeering supplies — a claim the group denies, alleging instead that Israel is using food scarcity as a weapon.

The war, now in its 20th month, began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken into Gaza. In retaliation, Israel launched a sweeping military campaign that has since killed over 56,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, displacing nearly the entire 2.3 million population and creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history.

According to the United Nations, more than 80% of Gaza is now under direct military control or subject to evacuation orders.

By Staff Writer, Courtesy of Forbes | June 30, 2025 | Edited for WTFwire.com
Source: Reuters