CAIRO/JERUSALEM,— Israeli airstrikes Martyr at least 18 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, marking the second consecutive day of heavy bombardment despite renewed diplomatic efforts led by the United States to revive last year’s ceasefire agreement.
Palestinian medical officials said Israeli warplanes struck multiple locations, including Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, Al-Mawasi, Jabalia, and the Zeitoun neighborhood, resulting in one of the highest daily death tolls recorded in recent weeks.
The latest escalation came only days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced what he described as a breakthrough in negotiations aimed at implementing the ceasefire framework and securing the disarmament of Hamas.
Israel Maintains Military Pressure
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, said Israel would only consider ending military operations if Hamas completely surrendered its weapons.
Speaking to Israeli Army Radio, Cohen expressed skepticism that Hamas would voluntarily disarm and warned that Israel could seek full control of Gaza if the militant group refused to comply.
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“Our position remains clear: Hamas must be dismantled. That is the first and essential condition,” Cohen said.
Later, Doron Spielman, spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, confirmed that Israel had conveyed “serious security concerns” to Washington regarding the proposed disarmament plan.
“The most important concern for Israel is that nothing can happen before Hamas completely and genuinely disarms,” Spielman said, emphasizing that Israel would not withdraw its forces while Hamas retained military capabilities.
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Civilian Casualties Mount
According to Palestinian health authorities, Israeli strikes on Deir al-Balah killed at least four people.
In Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, an airstrike hit a residential house, killing a husband, wife, and their nine-year-old son. Another strike in the same area ignited tents sheltering displaced families, leaving several people injured.
In Gaza City, an apartment building was struck, killing another family, while a separate attack on a tent near the Egyptian representative mission left two more Palestinians dead.
Additional strikes in Zeitoun and Jabalia also resulted in fatalities, while a later airstrike targeting a vehicle near Saraya Square reportedly killed at least three people.
Israeli Military Response
The Israeli military said one of its strikes in Deir al-Balah targeted two commanders from Hamas’ elite Nukhba Force.
It added that operations in Gaza City and Jabalia were directed against “military operatives,” while investigations into civilian casualty reports were continuing.
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Hamas Accuses Israel of Undermining Peace Efforts
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said the movement had demonstrated “considerable flexibility” during negotiations but accused Israel of escalating military operations to derail diplomatic progress.
“This escalation, coinciding with progress on the political track, clearly demonstrates that the occupation government seeks to undermine efforts aimed at ending the war and impose facts on the ground by force,” Naim said.
Hamas maintains that it will only discuss surrendering weapons after Israel ends its military campaign and fully withdraws from Gaza in accordance with the ceasefire agreement.
US-Led Diplomacy Continues
The U.S.-backed Board of Peace on Friday released a 15-point roadmap outlining the final phase of implementing the ceasefire agreement.
Board envoy Nickolay Mladenov acknowledged that Israeli strikes continued despite ongoing mediation efforts involving regional partners.
“We are working with all parties to de-escalate and create the space for the full implementation of the President’s plan,” Mladenov wrote on X, adding that lasting peace remained achievable through sustained diplomatic engagement.
Former senior Palestinian official Mohammed Dahlan, based in the United Arab Emirates, also claimed that Jared Kushner, former senior adviser to President Trump, was actively engaging Israeli officials in efforts to halt military operations and advance the agreement.
Casualties Since the Ceasefire
According to Gaza health authorities, at least 1,230 Palestinians have been Martyr in Israeli strikes since the October ceasefire was reached. Israeli officials say four Israeli soldiers have been killed during the same period.
Despite intensified diplomatic activity, Sunday’s attacks underscored the fragile state of ceasefire negotiations, with both Israel and Hamas continuing to insist on conditions that remain far apart.
