Israeli Airstrikes Kill Six in Gaza, Including Two Children, as Ceasefire Talks Continue

GAZA CITY/CAIRO, July 30, 2026 —  At least six Palestinians, including two children, were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical officials said, as international mediators held fresh ceasefire talks with Hamas in Cairo aimed at advancing a U.S.-brokered peace plan.

One of the deadliest strikes of the day hit Khan Younis, where an Israeli attack struck a tent sheltering displaced families. A man and an eight-year-old girl were killed and several other civilians were injured, medical officials said.

A separate strike on the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed a toddler. Another attack in Gaza City killed a man who was riding a bicycle, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli military said its operations are aimed at Hamas militants and at preventing attacks on Israeli forces. It did not immediately comment on Thursday's individual incidents.

The strikes came as senior officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey met with Hamas representatives in Cairo to discuss implementing the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal. Sources familiar with the negotiations said the talks have shown some progress, though major disagreements remain over Gaza's future governance, security arrangements and the disarmament of militant groups. Mediators are expected to keep working in Cairo over the coming days to narrow those gaps and avert further escalation.

A ceasefire framework has been in place since late 2025, but violence has continued almost daily. Palestinian officials say more than 1,200 people, most of them civilians, have been killed since the truce took hold, while Israel maintains its forces are still acting against Hamas targets to address ongoing security threats.

Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that civilians, particularly displaced families living in temporary shelters, remain highly vulnerable as the hostilities continue.