Ramallah (West Bank), Aug 27: Israeli and U.S. officials are set to meet in Washington to discuss postwar plans for Gaza, even as the conflict continues with no clear end in sight.
The meeting, chaired by US President Donald Trump, comes amid growing global outrage over recent Israeli airstrikes on a southern Gaza hospital that killed at least 20 people, including journalists and emergency workers.
Israel has launched an investigation into the incident but has yet to explain why the hospital was struck twice.
The war has killed over 62,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, with roughly half reported to be women and children.
Meanwhile, parts of Gaza face famine, most residents have been displaced, and critical infrastructure is in ruins. Aid groups warn that Israel’s planned expanded offensive could worsen the humanitarian catastrophe.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said the Wednesday meeting will present a “comprehensive” plan for Gaza’s future, but provided no details
The talks occur as ceasefire negotiations remain stalled, despite Hamas having accepted a plan mediated by Arab nations.
That proposal, reportedly similar to a prior deal endorsed by Israel, includes a 60-day truce, a hostage-prisoner exchange, increased humanitarian aid, and steps toward a lasting ceasefire.
Still, deep divisions persist. Some members of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition oppose any phased truce, while Israel continues to mobilize tens of thousands of reservists.
On Wednesday, multiple Israeli airstrikes killed at least 10 more Palestinians, including a child and a woman in Khan Younis. Israel has not commented on these latest attacks.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted 251 in southern Israel.
Roughly 50 hostages remain in Gaza. Protests are growing in Israel, with hostage families demanding a ceasefire, while the government insists continued military pressure is the only path to secure their release and weaken Hamas. (AP)
