CAIRO/JERUSALEM — Israeli airstrikes continued in Gaza for the second consecutive day on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of at least nine Palestinians. This comes despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement regarding progress in implementing last year’s Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen stated on Sunday that there was no current deal to halt attacks on Gaza. He emphasized the necessity for Israel, which already controls 70% of the Strip, to assume complete control over it. Cohen is part of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s security cabinet, which oversees security and diplomatic policy.
Palestinian health officials reported Israeli airstrikes across the enclave. These strikes targeted the northern Gaza City, the central city of Deir al-Balah, and the southern area of Khan Younis.
A man and his wife were killed, and four individuals were injured in an airstrike on a Deir al-Balah apartment. Additionally, two people, including a child, died in a strike on a Gaza City apartment, according to medics.
A Palestinian man evaluated the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Gaza City on August 2, as documented by Majdi Fathi / NurPhoto via Getty Images. A father, a mother, and their 9-year-old son were killed around dawn during a strike on a house in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis. Another person lost their life near Jabalia in northern Gaza.
The Israeli military asserted that the strikes in Deir al-Balah targeted two commanders of Hamas’ elite “Nukhba” force. The strikes in Gaza City and Jabalia also targeted “military operatives,” but the situation was still under review, according to military sources.
Since reaching a ceasefire in October, at least 1,230 Palestinians have died in Israeli strikes.
On Thursday, Trump announced a breakthrough following Hamas’ agreement to disarm under a U.S.-backed initiative to implement the ceasefire agreement initially reached in Egypt last year. Trump’s Board of Peace, the U.S.-led body supervising the ceasefire, released a 15-point roadmap on Friday, outlining the final steps for implementing the agreement.
Roadmap Pending Implementation
The roadmap has yet to be put into action. Hamas stated that it would surrender its weapons for storage only after Israel ceases military operations and withdraws its forces in accordance with last year’s agreement. However, an Israeli official informed Reuters that there will be no withdrawal unless Hamas undergoes “genuine disarmament.”
Cohen expressed skepticism on Army Radio, doubting that Hamas would disarm. He speculated that Hamas would instead conceal its weaponry. Netanyahu has not publicly addressed the initiative, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has criticized it, urging Israel to continue targeting Hamas leaders.
Former senior Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan, currently based in the United Arab Emirates, shared on Facebook that Jared Kushner, Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law involved in the U.S. initiative, communicated efforts with Israel to halt attacks on Gaza. Dahlan mentioned that communications with the U.S. are ongoing to ensure full implementation of the agreement. He noted that its success relies on Israel completely ending daily assaults on Gaza.
Reuters reached out to the U.S. State Department for comments on Dahlan’s statements. Israel has not issued any immediate responses.