News Center - As bombardments persist, mediators are racing against time before the looming deadline to reach a final agreement to end the war in Gaza.

On Saturday, October 4, Israeli forces launched dozens of airstrikes and artillery barrages across Gaza City and various parts of the enclave, brushing aside global demands to halt the offensive.

According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, more than 20 homes and buildings were destroyed overnight in what residents described as an “exceptionally violent” assault. Israeli forces have repeatedly warned civilians against returning to Gaza City or the northern areas, declaring them “active combat zones.”

The strikes left eight Palestinians dead, including two children, after a home in Gaza City and a tent sheltering displaced families in Khan Younis were targeted. Six more were killed in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in northeast Gaza, with reports of others still trapped under the rubble.

Israeli operations also included the use of explosive-laden drones and remote-controlled demolition devices in several neighborhoods — Al-Sabra and Tel al-Hawa in the south, Al-Rimal and Al-Nasr, as well as Al-Shati refugee camp in the west — while intensifying bombardment on key junctions such as Al-Ghafri crossroads and Al-Nafaq Street.

Meanwhile, Hamas announced its willingness to release all Israeli hostages, both alive and dead, and to hand over administration of Gaza to an independent Palestinian authority, as part of a broader peace plan that calls for a ceasefire and disarmament of the group.

The plan outlines the release of 48 hostages within 72 hours of Israel’s approval, a cessation of hostilities, and the dismantling of Hamas’s military infrastructure above and below ground under international supervision, with guarantees preventing its reconstruction.

While Hamas has agreed to certain core provisions — including the release of hostages and a transfer of power — other conditions remain contentious, particularly demands for full disarmament and the exclusion of Hamas from any governing role in Gaza. Adding to the urgency, a deadline set by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which expires Sunday evening, places heavy pressure on mediators striving to secure a final deal.