Israeli Airstrikes Kill Four Palestinians in Gaza Amid Renewed Peace Talks

The ongoing conflict in Gaza has claimed more civilian lives, with Israeli airstrikes killing at least four Palestinians on Monday, including a doctor and his son in Gaza City. These strikes occurred as mediators prepared for further peace negotiations in Cairo aimed at solidifying a ceasefire. The violence underscores the fragility of the truce brokered by the U.S. and highlights the deep divisions that persist between Israel and Hamas. Doctors reported that a woman was killed in an airstrike in the central Gaza town of Zawayda, and another person died in a nearby refugee camp. The Israeli military stated it killed two Hamas militants in separate strikes, claiming they were planning attacks, though no evidence was provided. The renewed violence casts a shadow over the diplomatic efforts, with Nikolaj Mladenov, the envoy for Trump's Peace Committee, expected in Cairo. Hamas had recently submitted its response to Mladenov's 15-point peace plan. Sources indicate that Hamas and other factions have agreed to all points except for Hamas's disarmament, which the group links to an Israeli withdrawal and a political path toward Palestinian statehood. The October 2025 ceasefire, mediated by Trump, has failed to halt Israeli attacks in Gaza or secure Hamas's disarmament, leaving both sides at an impasse regarding the next phase of Trump's plan for Gaza. Palestinian faction leaders, who met with mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey in Cairo last week, emphasized Israel's need to fully and unconditionally respect the ceasefire terms. Hamas blames Israel's refusal to fulfill the first phase's obligations for the lack of a comprehensive agreement, while Israel maintains its strikes are necessary to prevent imminent attacks. Palestinian health officials report over 990 deaths in Gaza since the ceasefire, while Israel states four soldiers were killed in the same period. Israel continues to occupy more than half of Gaza, where it has ordered residents to evacuate and demolished remaining structures, forcing most of the population into a narrow coastal strip under de facto Hamas control.

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The Israeli army announced that it killed two Hamas militants in separate attacks on the Gaza Strip. Israel claims the militants were planning to carry out attacks on Israeli troops, without providing evidence.