Ask Onix
Eight killed in Gaza air strikes amid fragile truce
At least eight Palestinians, including four children, died in Israeli air strikes across Gaza over the past day, the territory's civil defence agency reported on Friday. The attacks occurred despite a US-brokered ceasefire that has been repeatedly violated by both sides.
Strikes target displaced civilians and schools
Four fatalities, among them three children, resulted from a drone strike on a tent sheltering displaced families in southern Gaza, according to Mahmud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza's civil defence. Separate incidents claimed additional lives: an 11-year-old girl near Jabalia refugee camp, one person at a school, a man in Khan Younis, and another in Deir al-Balah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated it was reviewing the reports.
Ceasefire under strain as casualties mount
Since the truce took effect on 10 October, Israeli forces have killed at least 425 Palestinians in Gaza, Gaza's health ministry confirmed. Earlier on Thursday, the IDF reported intercepting a projectile launched from Gaza City that fell short of Israel, prompting a retaliatory strike on the launch site. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of breaching the ceasefire, which has largely halted hostilities but remains unstable.
US peace plan stalls amid demands for disarmament
The current truce marks the first phase of a 22-point US-backed peace initiative proposed by President Donald Trump. Under the deal, Hamas released living Israeli hostages captured during its 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, in exchange for Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons. However, the bodies of deceased hostages remain unreturned, and the plan has since stalled.
"Hamas will have hell to pay if it does not disarm soon," Trump warned. The group, however, has refused to lay down arms without progress toward an independent Palestinian state.
Political deadlock threatens Gaza's future
The second phase of the plan envisions Hamas disarming, the establishment of a technocratic government in Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Reconstruction efforts would follow, but critics argue Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may seek to delay the process, insisting on Hamas's disarmament before any troop withdrawal. Netanyahu has faced accusations of avoiding meaningful engagement on Palestinian statehood.
Hamas officials maintain that disarmament must coincide with tangible steps toward Palestinian independence, further complicating negotiations.
