Israeli air strikes killed at least two Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday, the third day of Ramadan, marking the latest breach of the truce deal signed with Hamas more than four months ago. The attacks occurred in northern Gaza’s Jabalia camp and the Qizan an-Najjar area in southern Gaza.
The total death toll from Israeli attacks since the “ceasefire” came into effect has risen to 614, with 1,640 more Palestinians wounded, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. The strikes come amid ongoing international efforts to secure a more durable cessation of hostilities and address the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s military acknowledged one of the attacks in a post on X, claiming its forces killed a fighter who crossed onto Israel’s side of the demarcation line in northern Gaza and approached its troops “in a manner that posed an immediate threat.” The army stated it would “continue to act to remove any immediate threat.”
Saturday’s attacks followed the first meeting of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, convened to address reconstruction, security, and governance in Gaza. Trump announced at the gathering that nine countries committed $7 billion for Gaza reconstruction efforts, supplemented by a $10 billion contribution from the United States. However, this total falls significantly short of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild the devastated territory.
Five countries also pledged to send troops to participate in a proposed 20,000-strong International Stabilization Force (ISF), intended to assume security responsibilities from Hamas. The critical issue of disarming Hamas, a prerequisite for the next stage of the deal, remains unresolved, potentially delaying or derailing the entire process. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that Hamas must disarm before any reconstruction can begin. A top Netanyahu aide stated last week that Israel plans to deliver Hamas a 60-day deadline to comply before resuming full-scale military operations, an ultimatum the group has rejected.
Hamas has stated it will not relinquish its weapons as long as Israel continues its occupation of the Strip and that any discussions on a political process in Gaza “must start with the total halt of aggression.” The group has expressed openness to a peacekeeping force, but with conditions. “We want peacekeeping forces that monitor the ceasefire, ensure its implementation, and act as a buffer between the occupation army and our people in the Gaza Strip, without interfering in Gaza’s internal affairs,” said Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem on Friday.
Jabalia refugee camp, established in 1948 by the United Nations to house those displaced by the 1948 Palestinian expulsion, is the largest refugee camp in Palestine, with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Covering only 1.4 square kilometers, it is one of the most densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip. Recent reports indicate significant destruction within the camp, with many buildings destroyed by Israeli bombing during the ongoing conflict. The UNRWA currently registers 119,540 Palestine Refugees in Jabalia camp.
Many Palestinians expressed skepticism about the prospects for success of Trump’s plan, citing Israel’s continued attacks and persistent aid shortages. Awad al-Ghoul, 70, a Palestinian displaced from Tal as-Sultan in southern Rafah and now living in a tent in az-Zawayda, stated, “Israel kills, bombs, violates the ceasefire agreement daily and expands the buffer zone without anyone stopping it. So this project is a failure from the start and unclear in vision.”
The next stage of Trump’s plan calls for the gradual withdrawal of the Israeli military and the deployment of the ISF, with a transitional Palestinian technocratic committee overseeing day-to-day governance. However, the timeline for these steps remains uncertain, and the ongoing violence casts doubt on their feasibility.
