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Israel has killed 88 Palestinians in Gaza over the past 24 hours, according to the territory's authorities on Sunday, as it expands its brutal assault on North Gaza to the neighbouring Gaza Governorate.

Beginning on 2 January, Tel Aviv has escalated its brutal assault and siege tactics, initially concentrated on the enclave's north since 5 October last year, now extending them to central and southern areas.

This threatens to lead to a significant increase in the number of Palestinian victims, according to warnings from humanitarian observers, given the high population density in the central Gaza Governorate, including hundreds of thousands of Gazans who fled the three month-long Israeli assault on the north.

Israel’s decision to expand its tactics of using massive military violence against civilian areas in combination with besiegement to the south is already seeing a rise in civilian casualties.

Gaza media office director Ismail Al-Thawabta that in addition to the 88 killed in the past 24 hours, over 200 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in 94 airstrikes launched on the territory during the past 72 hours. Al-Thawabta pointed out that most of the victims were in the Gaza Governorate.

He also added that the governorate has witnessed the widespread destruction of homes and civil infrastructure. Since Saturday morning, Israel has killed more than 45 Palestinians in the Gaza Governorate alone, according to Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal.

Israel claims that its escalation operations in the North Gaza Governorate since 5 October, 2024, and in the Gaza Governorate since 2 January, aim to "prevent Hamas from regaining its strength in the region". 

However, the situation on the ground tells a different story, with multiple witnesses and observers documenting Israel’s deliberate targeting of civilian areas and infrastructure, most notably hospitals and healthcare facilities.

This is thought to be part of what is known as the General’s Plan, named after former Israeli army general Giora Eiland, which seeks to use the targeting of civilians by military assault and starvation sieges to clear the North Gaza and Gaza Governorate of civilians to create a permanent buffer zone in the tiny enclave.

Despite the escalation in violence by Israel, there is also news on Sunday of alleged progress in ceasefire negotiations being held in Doha and Cairo.

A Palestinian source familiar with the Gaza negotiations °®Âþµºâ€™s Arabic language sister outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Sunday is a decisive day for the fate of the indirect talks taking place through mediators between Hamas and the Israeli government.

The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated that the mediators have managed to bridge the gaps between the two parties through compromise regarding fine details. He claims that the mediators are awaiting a response from the Israeli government tonight, following a meeting to be held by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with several ministers and officials.

There have been numerous recent false dawns regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza, with Israel remaining opposed to reaching one immediately.

At least 45,805 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, the vast majority of whom are civilians.