GAZA CITY, October 5, 2025 — Israel Strikes Gaza Kill 70 Despite Trump’s Urgent Plea, global leaders urge restraint. Israeli airstrikes and artillery attacks across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 70 Palestinians, according to local health officials, even as U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urged Israel to stop its bombardment following signs of progress in his proposed 20-point plan to end the two-year-long war.
Israel Strikes Gaza Kill 70 Despite Trump’s Urgent Plea
Widespread Devastation Across Gaza
At least 45 of the victims were killed in famine-struck Gaza City, where Israeli forces have been conducting heavy operations for weeks, forcing over one million residents to flee south.
Eighteen people — including seven children aged between two months and eight years — were killed when an airstrike flattened a residential home in the Tuffah neighborhood, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.
The strike, which targeted the home of the Abdul Aal family, also damaged nearby buildings and left dozens injured. In southern Gaza’s al-Mawasi, a so-called “safe humanitarian zone,” two children were killed and eight others wounded in another Israeli attack.
“Hospitals are unable to treat all of these Palestinians,” said Hind Khoudary, reporting for Al Jazeera from central Gaza. “What is happening on the ground doesn’t show there is any kind of ceasefire.”
The enclave’s medical facilities are near collapse — most hospitals are operating without electricity or fuel, while ambulance routes remain cut off by debris and craters left from bombing runs.
Trump’s Plea for Ceasefire Amid Ongoing Bombardment
In a series of Truth Social posts on Saturday, Donald Trump urged Hamas to “move quickly” to finalize negotiations on his peace plan.
“I will not tolerate delay or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat again. Let’s get this done, FAST. Everyone will be treated fairly!” he wrote.
Trump later claimed that Israel had agreed to an initial “withdrawal line” and that once Hamas confirmed, a ceasefire would be “immediately effective.”
According to a senior White House official, Trump will send envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Cairo to finalize details of a hostage-prisoner exchange and discuss a long-term political settlement. Egypt confirmed it will host delegations from Israel and Hamas on Monday.
Inside Trump’s 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan
Hamas has reportedly accepted key parts of Trump’s proposal — including Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and a full exchange of hostages and prisoners — while seeking clarity on disarmament and post-war governance.
The first phase calls for the return of all captives, dead or alive, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed negotiators were working to finalize a timeline for the release of hostages in Egypt.
“Hamas will be disarmed and the Strip demilitarized — either through Trump’s plan or through Israeli military action,” Netanyahu said in Jerusalem. “We hope to announce the return of our hostages soon.”
However, as Trump pushed for “immediate implementation,” Israeli bombardments continued unabated, underscoring the deep mistrust between the two sides.
Also Read: Israel strikes Gaza as Palestinians pin hopes on Trump’s Gaza plan
Israel’s Relentless Bombing After Trump’s Call
The Gaza civil defense agency said at least 57 people were killed since sunrise Saturday, including 40 in Gaza City alone, despite Trump’s appeal to stop attacks.
Mahmud Bassal, the agency’s spokesman, confirmed that one of the worst strikes hit the Abdul Aal family home, killing 18 members.
Another 12 civilians, including four children, died when Israeli jets struck a displacement camp in central Gaza.
“Since President Trump called for a halt, Israel has actually escalated its attacks,” said Mahmud Al-Ghazi, a Gaza resident. “Homes full of civilians are being bombed one after another.”
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, the latest strikes brought the total death toll since the start of Israel’s offensive to over 67,000, with humanitarian groups estimating the actual figure could be three times higher due to buried victims and missing persons.
Hamas Calls Israel’s Actions ‘Proof of Netanyahu’s Lies’
In a statement, Hamas condemned the continued airstrikes as evidence of “Netanyahu’s deceit.”
“The Zionist occupation army continues to commit horrific massacres against our people in Gaza,” the group said, urging the international community and Arab states to take “urgent action.”
Analysts believe Hamas is using the remaining Israeli hostages as leverage to secure guarantees for the implementation of the broader plan — including who will govern Gaza after the war.
“If you look at Trump’s plan, it’s almost a surrender for Hamas,” said Adnan Hayajneh, a professor of international relations at Qatar University. “They will hold onto the hostages as their last bargaining chip.”
World Leaders Welcome Hamas’s Response to Trump’s Plan
Despite ongoing violence, the international community has cautiously welcomed Hamas’s partial acceptance of Trump’s proposal.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “encouraged” and urged both sides to seize the opportunity.
“I reiterate my consistent call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and unrestricted humanitarian access,” Guterres said.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called Hamas’s response “encouraging,” saying:
“An immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages are within reach.”
French President Emmanuel Macron echoed those remarks, saying the moment must be “seized without delay” to make decisive progress toward peace.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described Hamas’s move as a “constructive and significant step toward lasting peace” and urged Israel to “immediately stop all its attacks.”
Key mediators Egypt and Qatar also praised the development, promising to continue discussions to finalize the details.
Humanitarian Toll Mounts
The Gaza Health Ministry said more than 67,074 Palestinians have been killed, over half women and children, and 440 people have died of starvation due to Israel’s blockade of aid.
More than 220 journalists and 1,000 healthcare workers have also been killed — many in targeted strikes, according to UN agencies.
The UNRWA called for Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, calling the latest developments “a rare window of hope.”
“The suffering of over 2 million people is unimaginable,” said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General. “Humanitarian access must resume immediately.”
Airstrikes Continue Despite ‘Shift to Defensive Posture’
Israeli media suggested the military had shifted to a defensive stance after Trump’s order, but Gaza residents reported no sign of restraint.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, said 39 bodies were brought in by Saturday evening, most from northern Gaza City.
“We are running out of body bags,” he said. “There are families we cannot even reach.”
The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, warned that “the area north of Wadi Gaza remains a dangerous combat zone,” discouraging displaced residents from returning home.
Political Calculations and the Road Ahead
Trump’s team believes his Gaza peace proposal — brokered with backing from Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia — could lead to “a permanent end” to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
But analysts warn that the plan, which envisions a demilitarized Gaza under an international authority, faces deep skepticism from both sides.
“Hamas fears it will lose all leverage, and Netanyahu’s coalition is divided over concessions,” said Dr. Laila Husseini, a Middle East analyst in Amman. “Neither side fully trusts Trump’s mediation.”
Even within Israel, opposition figures accused Netanyahu of “playing politics with lives” to maintain his hardline base, while far-right ministers vowed to block any territorial withdrawal.
Two Years of War: A Grim Anniversary
Tuesday will mark two years since the war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages.
Israel’s retaliation has devastated Gaza — flattening neighborhoods, displacing over 1.9 million people, and causing a near-total collapse of governance and infrastructure.
Of the 48 hostages believed to remain in Gaza, Israel says 20 are still alive. Under Trump’s plan, Hamas would have three days to release them, dead or alive, once the ceasefire takes effect.
Netanyahu Vows to Continue “Until Hamas Is Disarmed”
Despite international pressure, Netanyahu insisted Israel would not stop military operations until Hamas is completely disarmed.
“In the second phase, Hamas will be disarmed — the easy way or the hard way,” he warned. “This will happen through diplomacy or by the IDF’s hand.”
His remarks were met with criticism from both international observers and Israel’s domestic opposition, who accused him of undermining U.S.-brokered efforts for a ceasefire.
A Rare Window for Peace — or a False Dawn?
While Trump’s peace initiative has generated rare global consensus, many fear the violence could derail any progress before talks even begin.
As the death toll mounts and Gaza reels from destruction, ordinary Palestinians remain skeptical.
“They talk about peace while we bury our children,” said Um Ahmed, a mother in Gaza City who lost two sons in Saturday’s strikes. “If this is peace, what is war?”
The coming week will test whether the Trump-led negotiations in Cairo can deliver a breakthrough — or whether Gaza’s suffering will continue, even under the shadow of a new peace plan.
Outlook
The Cairo talks, set to begin Monday, represent the most serious diplomatic effort in months to end the bloodshed. With global leaders backing Trump’s framework, and both Hamas and Israel signaling cautious willingness, the world watches closely.
For now, the bombs continue to fall — a brutal reminder that in Gaza, peace remains a promise yet to be kept.
