CAIRO/JERUSALEM: Negotiators for a ceasefire and hostage situation in the Gaza Strip discussed new compromise proposals in Cairo on Saturday, trying to bridge differences between Israel and Hamas, while the UN reported a deteriorating humanitarian situation, rising malnutrition and confirmed polio.
Fifty people were killed in Israeli military strikes in Gaza on Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said. Victims of the fighting over the past 48 hours are still lying on the streets where fighting is ongoing or are trapped under rubble, authorities said.
A Hamas delegation arrived on Saturday to be closer to the scene and examine any proposals that emerge in the main talks between Israel and mediating countries Egypt, Qatar and the United States, two Egyptian security sources said.
The participation of Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was expected.
Months of on-and-off talks have so far failed to produce a breakthrough that would end Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza or free the remaining hostages captured by Hamas in its October 7 attack that sparked the war.
According to Egyptian sources, the new proposals contained compromises on outstanding issues, such as securing key areas and the return of the population to northern Gaza.
However, there have been no signs of a breakthrough on key issues, including Israel’s insistence on maintaining control over the so-called Philadelphia Corridor on the border between Gaza and Egypt.
Hamas has accused Israel of backing away from things it agreed to in earlier talks, which Israel denies. The group says the United States is not mediating in good faith.
In Israel, clashes have broken out between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli ceasefire negotiators over whether Israeli troops should remain along the entire Gaza-Egypt border, a person familiar with the talks said.
A Palestinian official familiar with the mediation efforts said it was too early to predict the outcome of the talks. “Hamas is here to discuss the outcome of the mediators’ talks with Israeli officials and whether there is enough to indicate a change in Netanyahu’s stance on reaching an agreement,” the official said.

Spread of diseases
A continuation of the war would worsen the situation of the 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip. Almost all of them are homeless and live in tents or makeshift shelters among the ruins. Malnutrition is widespread and diseases are spreading. The lives of the remaining Israeli hostages would also be at risk.
According to Israeli sources, 1,200 people were killed in the attack on October 7. According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 40,000 people have died in Israel’s Gaza campaign.
The United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said in an update on Friday that the amount of food aid arriving in Gaza in July was one of the lowest since October, when Israel imposed a full siege.
According to OCHA, the number of acutely malnourished children in the north of the Gaza Strip was four times higher in July than in May. In the more accessible south, where fighting is less intense, the number has more than doubled.
The World Health Organization announced on Friday that a 10-month-old baby had contracted polio, the first such case in the region in 25 years. Given the poor hygiene conditions for people living in the ruins, there are concerns that a larger outbreak could occur.
Further hostilities also pose the risk of new, more serious escalations: Iran is still considering retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian territory last month.
Meanwhile, General CQ Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Air Force, began a
unannounced visit
to the Middle East to discuss ways to avoid a renewed escalation of tensions that could escalate into a wider conflict as the region prepares for a looming Iranian attack on Israel.
Fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has recently intensified since October 7, including Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley and increased rocket fire into northern Israel by Hezbollah.