Israeli military aircraft struck residential buildings in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Deir el-Balah overnight, killing at least eight people. The attacks were part of a second successive night of Israeli strikes on the territory after Hamas accepted a disarmament plan.
The Civil Defence Authority said that Israeli military aircraft targeted military operatives in Gaza, while two Hamas militants were killed. It was the second successive night of Israeli strikes on the territory, following days after Hamas agreed to accept a disarmament plan under US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative.
Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007 and is considered a terror organization by the UK government. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that no deal had been reached to stop attacks on the Gaza Strip, despite the proposed disarmament plan for Israel to pull out of the territory.
The IDF also reported that it killed two Hamas commanders in separate attacks last week. Palestinian health officials confirmed that at least 10 people were killed in a strike on a residential building in Gaza City and another person was killed near Jabalia in northern Gaza.
A father, mother, and their nine-year-old son were killed after a strike on a house in Khan Younis, while a man and woman died after their apartment block was struck in Deir el-Balah. More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed since the supposed ceasefire came into effect last October.
The number of Palestinian casualties has continued to rise, with over 60 million tonnes of debris generated in Gaza since October 2023, according to UN estimates. The actual number is likely much higher due to incomplete satellite imagery.
Israel’s Energy Minister, Eli Cohen, said that no deal had been reached to stop attacks on the Gaza Strip and that Israel saw a need for the territory to be placed under full control of Israel if Hamas did not disarm. He added that he believed there was a need for the strip to be “placed under the full control” of Israel.
The proposed disarmament plan, which includes the creation of the Board of Peace to oversee its implementation and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, has been met with skepticism by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. He dismissed it as “not acceptable”.
The 20-point US-brokered ceasefire plan aims to end the war in Gaza, which began on December 8 last year. The plan includes a process for inventorying and storing heavy weapons, military production sites, weapons depots, and tunnels.
However, Israel has destroyed over 1,500 buildings in areas of Gaza that have remained under its control since the ceasefire, according to satellite images seen by BBC Verify. The actual number is likely much higher due to incomplete imagery.
The situation remains volatile, with reports of further attacks on Palestinian civilians. It is unclear how the weapons would be handed over to the Board of Peace or if Israel will meet its commitments under the initial ceasefire agreement.
Based on reporting from BBC World.
