Deadly Israeli Strikes and Cease-Fire Talks: A Middle East Crisis

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed 19, including a woman and her six children, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to the region to negotiate a cease-fire. The U.S., Egypt, and Qatar are close to a deal but face resistance from Hamas over new Israeli demands.

In a deadly escalation, Israeli strikes across Gaza killed 19 people overnight, including a woman and her six children. This comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to the region on Sunday to secure a cease-fire deal following months of contentious negotiations.

Efforts led by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar to broker a cease-fire appeared to be nearing fruition after two days of talks in Doha, with American and Israeli officials voicing cautious optimism. However, Hamas has shown resistance to new Israeli demands, causing repeated stalling in the long-running negotiations.

The proposal under discussion involves a three-phase process: Hamas would release all hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack, in exchange for Israel withdrawing forces from Gaza and releasing Palestinian prisoners. The mediators hope to end a conflict that has claimed over 40,000 Palestinian lives and caused a humanitarian crisis, according to local health authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)