At least 65,549 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as U.S. President Donald Trump unveils a 21-point peace proposal while Israeli attacks escalate on the besieged Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed on Friday that at least 65,549 Palestinians have been killed and 167,518 injured since October 2023 in Israel’s onslaught on the enclave.
Many victims remain under rubble as rescuers struggle to reach them amid relentless bombardments.
The ministry said 47 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, with 142 new injuries.
It also reported that five Palestinians were killed and 33 wounded while seeking humanitarian aid, bringing the total killed during aid distributions to 2,543, with more than 18,614 injured since May.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced it was suspending operations in Gaza City, saying clinics were encircled by Israeli forces, leaving staff and patients at risk.
“This is the last thing we wanted, as the needs in Gaza City are enormous,” said Jacob Granger, the group’s emergency coordinator.
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The organisation noted it had provided more than 3,600 consultations and treated 1,600 malnutrition cases in just one week before being forced to withdraw.
UN tensions and global reactions
The conflict dominated the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Scores of delegates staged a walkout as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his speech, in which he vowed to “finish the job” against Hamas, dismissed recognition of a Palestinian state as “insane,” and accused world leaders of caving in to “biased media, radical Islamist constituencies and anti-Semitic mobs.”
Netanyahu employed theatrics, including a QR code on his jacket and a “pop quiz,” drawing ridicule from Israel’s opposition, which described his performance as mere gimmicks.
Gaza’s ruling armed group Hamas said the mass walkout reflected Israel’s “isolation.” Protest rallies also erupted in New York City outside the UN venue during Netanyahu’s address.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its military campaign in Gaza.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro joined demonstrators in New York during the UN General Assembly, declaring that “what is happening in Gaza is a genocide.”
He accused Washington’s veto at the UN Security Council of destroying diplomatic avenues and called on U.S. soldiers to disobey President Trump’s orders, urging them instead to “obey the order of humanity.”
The U.S. State Department responded by revoking his visa, denouncing his comments as reckless.
Separately, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed met Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UNGA, stressing the need for a permanent ceasefire, unhindered aid delivery, and support for a two-state solution.
He said the humanitarian tragedy required “the mobilisation of all possible efforts.”
Trump’s 21-point plan
President Trump told supporters this week that negotiations over Gaza were moving forward, repeating his claim that a ceasefire agreement was “very close.”
His administration formally presented what it called a 21-point peace plan to Arab leaders on Tuesday, with further discussions taking place in New York the following day.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff publicly confirmed the proposal at the Concordia Summit, saying: “We presented what we call the Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Mideast, in Gaza.”
He added that the U.S. was “hopeful, and I might say even confident, that in the coming days, we’ll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough.”
The plan reportedly outlined the release of all hostages, a permanent ceasefire, a framework for governing Gaza without Hamas, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.
Witkoff said the proposal was designed to address Israeli concerns while also responding to the expectations of regional states.
Arab leaders endorsed much of the plan but sought significant additions.
They pressed for an explicit rejection of West Bank annexation, guarantees to maintain the status quo in Jerusalem, greater humanitarian aid for Gaza, and steps to address Israel’s settlement expansion.
They also emphasised that the war must end and all hostages held by Hamas must be returned.
Regional diplomats described the talks as “super useful,” with both the US delegation and Arab leaders agreeing to continue negotiations. European governments also received a readout of the plan, with officials saying it reflected a genuine renewed US effort to end the conflict.
The new momentum followed an Israeli strike in Doha that derailed earlier indirect talks between Hamas and Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged regional leaders to move quickly, warning that “time is running out” to reach an agreement. Qatar offered to continue mediating if assurances were given that Israeli strikes would not be repeated on its soil.
Despite the renewed push, critics note that Trump has made similar claims before without tangible results. Announcements of imminent breakthroughs have at times functioned as political diversions rather than genuine progress toward a lasting settlement.
Hamas’ response
Hamas leaders said Sunday that it has not received any new Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators, stressing its readiness to discuss any proposals.
Media reports earlier said that Hamas had received a U.S. proposal to reach a Gaza ceasefire and end the Israeli war in the enclave.
“Hamas confirms that it has not received any new proposals from mediators,” the group said in a statement.
Earlier, a senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad said the group was willing to step aside from ruling Gaza, though he stressed Hamas was inseparable from the Palestinian people. Speaking to CNN, he said: “We are ready to be out of the ruling of Gaza. We have no problem with this.”
His remarks came in the wake of Trump’s peace plan, which envisages a postwar Gaza administration without Hamas and funded reconstruction supported by Arab and Muslim states.
Hamad also described surviving an Israeli airstrike in Qatar as “a miracle,” accusing Israel of targeting negotiators to derail talks.
He said Hamas, which is a proscribed terror group in the UK, had offered a comprehensive deal to release all hostages within 24 hours, but that Israel refused.
Israel estimates that 48 hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive, while rights groups say more than 11,000 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons under harsh conditions.
