By Dan Johnson, BBC Correspondent in Jerusalem

At least 81 people have been killed and more than 400 injured in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip in the 24 hours leading up to midday Saturday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Among the dead are women and children. One of the deadliest strikes occurred near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, where at least 11 people were killed. The stadium, witnesses said, had been sheltering displaced families living in tents. Footage verified by the BBC shows civilians and rescue teams digging through sand with their hands and spades to recover bodies.

Eyewitness Ahmed Qishawi described the aftermath: “This area was packed with tents—now the tents are under the sand. We spent hours digging with our bare hands. There are no fighters here, only civilians, children. They were targeted with no mercy.”

The Israeli military (IDF) acknowledged striking a “suspicious individual who posed a threat” but said it was “unaware of any other injuries.” It added that precautions had been taken to avoid civilian casualties.

More Strikes Reported Across Gaza

In the al-Mawasi area, another airstrike reportedly killed 14 people, including three children and their parents, who were asleep at the time. “What did these children do to them? What is their fault?” asked Suad Abu Teima, the children’s grandmother, speaking to the Associated Press.

Later on Saturday, a strike in the Tuffah neighbourhood near Jaffa School—where hundreds of displaced residents had taken shelter—killed at least eight people, including five children, according to the health ministry.

Mohammed Haboub, one of the survivors, said his nephews, father, and neighbours’ children were killed. “We are civilians. We didn’t do anything to them. Why do they harm us?” he said.

Emergency crews reportedly faced serious challenges reaching victims due to damaged roads and ongoing shelling in some areas.

Ceasefire Hopes Amid Renewed Violence

Despite escalating violence, efforts continue behind the scenes to broker a ceasefire. U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “hopeful” a new truce could be reached within a week. Qatari mediators also expressed cautious optimism, encouraged by U.S. involvement following a recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran that ended a 12-day conflict.

The previous truce in Gaza, which began in January, collapsed in March after Israel resumed airstrikes. That deal was intended to unfold in three stages, including a permanent ceasefire, hostage exchanges, and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza—but it stalled after the first phase.

A senior Hamas official told the BBC that talks to restart negotiations have intensified but remain deadlocked.

In Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, a rally was held calling for the return of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. Organisers urged immediate action, saying, “The time has come to end the fighting and bring everyone home in one phase.”

Israel Announces Targeted Kill of Senior Hamas Commander

The Israeli military announced on Saturday that it had killed Hakham Muhammad Issa al-Issa, a senior commander in Hamas’s military wing, during a strike in Gaza City’s Sabra area on Friday. The IDF said al-Issa was involved in planning and executing the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage.

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began in response to that attack. Since then, more than 56,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry run by Hamas.