Gaza’s death toll surges as negotiators cite progress on a cease-fire deal

Explosions shook Palestinians awake in Rafah on Monday, as the sky outside, despite the early hour, glowed as if it were daytime.

Rafah, where the raid took place, is a city located on the southern border of the Gaza Strip, where 1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge to escape the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict elsewhere. Women and children were among those killed in the airstrikes, Palestinian officials said.

According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, over 28,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in Gaza since the Hamas’ assault into Israel on Oct. 7 — which resulted in the deaths of 1,200, mostly civilians, and the abduction of around 250 individuals.

The Palestinian death toll from an Israeli hostage rescue operation in a key Gaza city rose to 74 on Tuesday, officials in the war-ravaged enclave said, even as the warring sides appear to have made progress toward a deal that aims to bring about a cease-fire and free hostages held by Hamas.

Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, while Hamas is holding the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on Oct. 7 or died in captivity. Three hostages were mistakenly killed by the army after escaping their captors in December.

Currently:

— Biden says ‘key elements’ of a Gaza deal are on the table as he meets with Jordan’s King Abdullah

— The Israeli military says it has rescued 2 hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip.

— Timeline of the Israeli raid in Gaza that rescued two hostages and killed dozens of Palestinians

— Egypt is threatening to void its decades-old peace treaty with Israel. What does that mean?

— UN Palestinian aid agency says it’s ‘critical’ to receive EU aid soon, but EU wants an audit first.

Here’s the latest: