Israeli Strikes Kill Multiple Palestinians Amid Dispute Over Gaza Disarmament Deal

Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday and Sunday killed between eight and nine people, including children, according to Palestinian health officials and local sources. The strikes hit residential buildings in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Deir el-Balah. Reported casualties include a husband, wife, and their nine year old son in Khan Younis, as well as another couple and a child in Gaza City. Other reports indicate an elderly couple was killed in Deir el-Balah. The Israel Defense Forces stated that the strikes targeted military operatives and Hamas commanders, specifically identifying Salem Jamal Abd al-Rahman Abu Labad of the Nukhba force and Muhammad Abd al-Nasser Muhammad Khatib of the Maghazi Battalion. The IDF also reported killing three other terrorists from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Army of Islam over the past week.

The military operations occurred as confusion grew over a US backed disarmament plan. President Donald Trump stated that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad had agreed to the plan, which involves the transfer of weapons to a Palestinian police force under a technocratic government. However, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen stated that the cabinet had not discussed the plan and that Israel would not stop eliminating armed actors involved with terrorism. While some reports suggested Israel had agreed to halt strikes, other officials expressed skepticism regarding Hamas' willingness to disarm.

Outlets with different political leans framed the events differently. Center left sources emphasized the human cost and the timing of the strikes despite the ceasefire agreement. Center right sources focused on the identity of the targets as terrorists and the specific military objectives of the IDF. Center sources provided a broader synthesis of the military casualties and the diplomatic tension surrounding the disarmament roadmap.