With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's current visit to the United States, the prospect of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has become a critical point of international focus. Yet despite repeated positive signals from multiple parties, actual progress on ceasefire negotiations remains slow, leaving war-weary Gaza residents increasingly frustrated and fearful.
Israeli airstrikes across the enclave continue unabated, intensifying local despair.
"We are now living in a state of anxiety, not knowing what will become of us - whether we will live or die, whether a ceasefire will truly happen. We have reached a point where we can only wait and see how we will die. I believe this delay is intentional," said a Gaza resident named Ibrahim Abdel Dayem.
"Every night, we fall asleep in pain; every morning, we wake in pain. We walk through life in agony, even afraid to step onto the streets. We hear the word 'ceasefire' - over and over - but we have yet to see it realized," said another Gaza resident named Wael Nasr.
As Gaza residents were awaiting a ceasefire, a missile struck a roundabout where children were playing, killing many nearby, especially the children caught in the blast.
"At that moment, children were playing on the swivel chairs here. Nearby stood a tent - the temporary shelter of a disabled man who wasn't affiliated with any faction. Then, tragically, the airstrike came without warning. We're all waiting for a ceasefire, but every delay brings new deaths. I could die. He could die. What exactly are they waiting for?" said Mohamed Abu Al-Ata, also a Gaza resident.
Netanyahu's visit to Washington, which began on Monday, is his third since Trump returned to office in January.
The trip comes amid growing public pressure in Israel for a long-term ceasefire that would end the war in Gaza and secure the return of around 50 hostages, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners have pushed him to continue the military campaign and establish a permanent Israeli control over parts of the Palestinian enclave.
Hamas announced on Friday it had responded "in a positive spirit" to a U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day truce. Trump said Israel had agreed "to the necessary conditions to finalize" the deal.
The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 57,575, with 136,879 injured since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted on October 7, 2023, Gaza's health authorities said in a statement on Tuesday.
Gaza residents decry ongoing bombings, demand urgent ceasefire
