Gaza war toll mounts: About 60 dead as UK MPs urge peace
Shafaq News – Gaza/London
Nearly 60 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza over the past 24 hours, the enclave’s health ministry confirmed on Saturday, as diplomatic pressure for peace continues to build.
Emergency services reported that, among the casualties, 27 Palestinians were killed and 180 wounded while waiting for aid in northern Rafah, raising Gaza’s death toll since October 7 to 57,902, with over 137,900 injured.
The mounting casualties coincide with a worsening humanitarian crisis. Gaza’s Government Media Office warned that more than 1.25 million people now face “catastrophic hunger,” with 96% of the population severely food insecure. Approximately 650,000 children remain at immediate risk amid restricted access to humanitarian aid.
On the ground, the Israeli military continues its operations with five maneuvering divisions, including the 98th Division operating in Gaza City’s al-Shujaiya and Zaytoun neighborhoods. In a statement, the army revealed that forces uncovered and destroyed explosive devices and observation posts linked to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Around 250 airstrikes further targeted multiple sites across the strip.
#عاجل ملخص الساعات ال-48 الأخيرة: مهاجمة نحو 250 هدف إرهابي في قطاع غزة ⭕️تواصل قوات جيش الدفاع العمل من خلال خمس فرق مناورة ضد المنظمات الإرهابية في مختلف مناطق قطاع غزة.⭕️تواصل قوات فرقة 98 العمل في منطقتي الشجاعية والزيتون في مدينة غزة. لقد كشفت ودمرت عبوات ناسفة ومرابض… pic.twitter.com/sLUstO0bYN
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) July 12, 2025
Despite the intensifying offensive, indirect ceasefire negotiations resumed in Doha. Hamas confirmed its involvement in talks aimed at securing a comprehensive agreement. A senior Israeli official indicated a possible deal — encompassing a ceasefire and prisoner exchange — could be reached within one to two weeks, although no immediate breakthrough is expected.
Meanwhile, in London, sixty Labour MPs signed a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy urging the immediate recognition of a Palestinian state. According to The Guardian, the lawmakers argued that such a step would support peace efforts and align with international legal standards. While the UK continues to endorse a two-state solution, formal recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state has yet to occur.
