CAIRO — The United States, alongside Arab mediators, worked to finalize a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the 14-month conflict in Gaza. According to medics, Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday (Dec 18) claimed the lives of at least 20 Palestinians.

A Palestinian official involved in the talks mentioned that mediators had bridged differences on most points of the agreement, though disagreements remained due to Israeli conditions rejected by Hamas. The official did not elaborate further.

On Tuesday, sources close to the discussions in Cairo indicated that an agreement might soon be reached, involving a truce and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.

Medics reported that an airstrike killed at least 10 people in a house in Beit Lahiya, while six others died in separate strikes in Gaza City, Nuseirat camp, and Rafah. In Beit Hanoun, four people were killed in a strike on a house. Israeli military spokespeople provided no immediate comment on these reports.

Later that day, medics informed Reuters that an airstrike on a house in Jabalia killed at least 10 more people. Israeli forces have been active in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, and the Jabalia camp since October, aiming to disrupt Hamas’s operations, according to the military. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of ethnic cleansing to create a buffer zone, a claim Israel denies.

Hamas does not disclose its casualties, and the Palestinian health ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its daily reports. The Israeli military stated on Wednesday that it targeted Hamas militants planning an attack in Jabalia. However, an Israeli shelling incident later damaged Al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia, injuring seven medics and one patient, according to the hospital director. The military has yet to respond to these allegations.

In the Bureij camp in central Gaza, some Palestinian families began evacuating after receiving new warnings from the Israeli army about rocket fire from the area. These orders were communicated via social media and direct messages to residents’ phones.

Progress on Ceasefire Talks

The U.S., with Egypt and Qatar mediating, has intensified efforts to secure a truce before President Joe Biden's term concludes next month. Israeli President Isaac Herzog recently met with Adam Boehler, the envoy for hostage affairs under incoming U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has warned of severe consequences if hostages are not freed by his inauguration on January 20.

CIA Director William Burns arrived in Doha on Wednesday for discussions with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to address remaining obstacles in the negotiations. Israeli representatives had also visited Doha earlier in the week to negotiate terms of a deal proposed by Biden in May.

The conflict began following a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and resulting in the abduction of over 250 hostages. Israel’s military response has led to the deaths of over 45,000 Palestinians, displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, and left much of the region in ruins. Repeated negotiation attempts over the past year have faltered due to disagreements over a sustained Israeli military presence in Gaza and Hamas’s demands regarding hostages.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters