Hours before the latest round of ceasefire negotiations, Israeli forces unleashed a new wave of bombardments across the Gaza Strip, killing at least twenty-four people, including civilians waiting near an aid centre north of Rafah. Air strikes pounded residential areas in Tal al-Hawa, the Shati refugee camp, and the Nasser neighbourhood, leaving behind scenes of devastation that have become tragically routine after two years of relentless war.

Eyewitnesses described a night filled with the sound of drones, naval shelling, and collapsing buildings. Displacement zones, once declared “safe,” were also hit, offering no refuge for families who continue to flee south in search of safety that remains elusive. The ongoing attacks come amid staggering human losses, more than 2,700 families erased from Gaza’s civil registry, among them infants, journalists, doctors, and rescue workers whose lives have been extinguished in what many now call an act of genocide.

Meanwhile, delegations are gathering in Sharm el-Sheikh for indirect talks on a potential ceasefire based on a U.S.-brokered plan. The discussions are expected to address troop withdrawal, prisoner exchange, and the future administration of Gaza. Yet for the people living beneath the bombs, the prospect of diplomacy feels distant. As world leaders speak of peace, Gaza’s skyline continues to burn, a stark reminder that ceasefire talks often begin too late for those already lost.