Ceasefire Talks in Cairo as Israeli Strikes Kill 18 Across Gaza and Lebanon

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoys, including senior adviser Jared Kushner, held talks in Cairo with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators, with Hamas officials present at some sessions, according to a diplomat familiar with the discussions [220487]. The meetings mark a renewed push for a ceasefire, though no official statement was released and the exact agenda remained unclear [220487]. Hamas confirmed it sent a delegation led by senior official Khalil al-Hayya to Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials focused on strengthening the ceasefire in Gaza [219852]. Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza and controls the Rafah crossing, is seen as essential for any deal to gain traction [218650].

The diplomatic push comes as violence continues unabated. Israeli strikes on Gaza leveled two residential buildings in Gaza City, with Civil Defense teams recovering 21 bodies and searching for at least 40 more people still trapped under a third collapsed house [219880]. In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 11 people on Saturday, the deadliest attacks since the June 20 ceasefire with Hezbollah, with one strike hitting a home in Ansar village killing seven people including three children [220202]. A separate strike killed at least seven more in the towns of Nebatiye and Ensar, which the Israeli military said targeted Hezbollah infrastructure [220380].

The regional backlash is growing. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, along with other regional nations, publicly condemned Israel’s refusal to accept the Trump administration’s proposed plan for Gaza, casting doubt on the viability of the negotiations [220343]. Meanwhile, Washington has sent "furious" messages to Jerusalem demanding answers over Israeli settler violence in the West Bank village of Qusra, signaling growing frustration with the Israeli government’s handling of the occupied territories [217527].