Gaza Conflict Intensifies: Access Restrictions, Civilian Deaths, Flotilla Tensions and European Backing for Peace Plan
An array of security, humanitarian and diplomatic developments around Gaza unfolded this week as Israeli military moves, a high-risk aid flotilla and renewed air and artillery strikes compounded an already severe crisis — while several European leaders publicly welcomed a U.S. peace proposal aimed at ending the fighting.
The Israeli military announced that it will close the last remaining route linking southern Gaza to the north, preventing displaced residents from returning. According to Al Arabiya, the measure follows an offensive that has already forced more than 250,000 people to flee Gaza City.
An international flotilla carrying humanitarian aid is approaching Gaza despite reported attempts by the Israeli navy to stop it. According to Anadolu Agency, organizers said that Israeli vessels maneuvered to intercept the ships but failed. They also claimed that unidentified unlit craft approached flotilla boats overnight, forcing activists to take evasive measures.
At least 11 Palestinians, including a pregnant woman, were killed in fresh Israeli airstrikes, according to Anadolu Agency. In Deir al-Balah, 6 people, including a child and a journalist, were killed, while a separate strike on Nuseirat refugee camp left 4 dead, Al Jazeera reported.
The Associated Press cited hospital sources saying at least 31 Palestinians have been killed in recent operations, including 10 children and 3 women in one set of strikes near the flotilla’s approach zone. Civil defense officials told Middle East Monitor that rescue crews have been denied access to multiple sites, with 26 out of 27 coordination requests rejected over 22 days, leaving bodies uncollected in Gaza neighborhoods such as Sabra, Tal al-Hawa, and Sheikh Radwan.
Meanwhile, several European leaders voiced support for former U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan. According to Anadolu and Reuters, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged parties to “seize the opportunity,” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also endorsed the proposal. However, critics warned — as The Guardian reported — that the plan sidelines Palestinian leadership and risks further divisions.
