As ceasefire talks drag on in Gaza, death, disease and hunger rage

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.

Israeli military strikes in Gaza killed 50 people on Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said. Victims of the fighting over the past 48 hours were still lying on the streets where fighting continued or were trapped under rubble, authorities said. Two Egyptian security sources said a Hamas delegation arrived on Saturday to be closer to the scene and to examine any proposals that emerge at the main talks between Israel and mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was expected to attend. Months of talks have so far failed to produce a breakthrough that would end Israel's devastating military campaign in Gaza or free the remaining hostages held by Hamas. The Egyptian sources said the new proposals included compromises on outstanding issues, such as securing key areas and the return of people 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.

Food supply at risk
A continuation of the war will worsen the situation for Gaza's 2.3 million people. Almost all of them are homeless and live in tents or makeshift shelters among the ruins. Malnutrition is widespread and disease is spreading. The United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said in an update on Friday that the amount of food aid entering Gaza in July was one of the lowest since October, when Israel imposed a full siege. OCHA said the number of children with acute malnutrition in northern Gaza was four times higher in July than in May, while the number more than doubled in the more accessible south, where fighting is less intense.

The World Health Organization said on Friday that a 10-month-old baby had been left paralysed by polio, the first such case in the area in 25 years. This raises fears of a larger outbreak given the poor hygiene conditions for people living in the ruins. Further hostilities also risk new escalations as Iran continues to consider retaliation for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on its territory last month.