Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
At least 11 Palestinians were killed Sunday in a series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian officials, in violence that threatens to unravel a fragile ceasefire days before a high-profile diplomatic meeting in Washington.
Palestinian medics said four people were killed in an airstrike on a displacement camp, while health officials reported that another five were killed in a separate strike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. One additional person was reportedly shot dead in the north of the territory. Israeli airstrikes also targeted what was described as a senior figure in the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City.
The Israeli military said the strikes were carried out in response to what it described as repeated violations by Hamas of the ceasefire agreement that took effect in October. An Israeli military official characterized Sunday’s operations as “precise” and consistent with international law.
According to the official, militants emerged from a tunnel near Beit Hanoun and crossed the so-called “yellow line,” the demarcation outlined in the ceasefire agreement separating areas controlled by Israeli forces and Hamas. The official said the armed individuals approached Israeli troops, constituting a “blatant violation” of the truce.
Israel has unilaterally expanded the scope of the yellow line inside Gaza, despite provisions in the ceasefire framework that include phased Israeli withdrawals. Hamas has so far refused to disarm, a condition Israel says is stipulated in the agreement. Israeli officials have warned that they will compel the group to disarm if it does not do so voluntarily.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem accused Israel of committing a new “massacre” against displaced civilians and described the strikes as a serious breach of the ceasefire. He called on participants in the upcoming meeting of the newly formed Peace Council to pressure Israel to halt what he termed ongoing violations.
The escalation comes just days before U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to host the inaugural meeting of the Peace Council in Washington. U.S. officials told Reuters last week that Trump plans to present a multibillion-dollar reconstruction initiative for Gaza at the summit, alongside details of a proposed United Nations-backed stabilization force inside the enclave.
The ceasefire remains a cornerstone of Trump’s broader plan to end the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas-led militants carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli authorities say the assault killed more than 1,200 people. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed in subsequent Israeli air and ground operations.
The Israeli military said it continues to dismantle tunnels in northern Gaza in accordance with the ceasefire terms. It reported that its air force struck a building east of the yellow line after identifying militants exiting a tunnel, killing at least two. Gaza officials said they did not yet have confirmed casualty figures from that specific incident.
Gaza’s Health Ministry stated that at least 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire came into effect. Israel, for its part, says four of its soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza during the same period.
As diplomatic efforts intensify and reconstruction proposals are prepared for discussion in Washington, the renewed violence underscores the fragility of the truce and the difficulty of separating political negotiations from realities on the ground. With both sides accusing each other of systematic violations, the durability of the ceasefire and the viability of broader diplomatic initiatives appears increasingly uncertain.
