Israeli strikes kill 13 in Gaza after Hamas accepts disarmament plan

Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 13 people, including several children, in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials reported. The attacks, which struck Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Deir el-Balah, occurred on the second successive night of Israeli military action in the territory.

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it was targeting military operatives in Gaza

These strikes come days after Hamas reportedly accepted a disarmament plan. This plan, facilitated by U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, would involve the Palestinian group handing over its weapons. However, Israeli officials offered a different perspective. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the targets were military operatives, and confirmed the deaths of two Hamas militants.

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no deal had been reached to stop attacks on the Gaza Strip

Adding to the complexity, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen remarked on Sunday that no agreement had been reached to halt attacks on Gaza. He suggested that Israel might need to assume full control of the territory if Hamas failed to disarm, despite the Board of Peace's plan for an Israeli withdrawal. The IDF's X account reported killing two Hamas commanders and another militant, claiming they were planning attacks on Israeli targets.

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the need for the strip to be placed under the full control of Israel if Hamas did not disarm

Palestinian health officials provided details on the casualties, including a child killed in Gaza City, another person near Jabalia, and a family of three, a father, mother, and their nine-year-old son, killed in Khan Younis. A couple also died when their apartment block in Deir el-Balah was struck. These latest deaths add to the significant toll since a supposed ceasefire took effect last October, with over 1,100 Palestinians killed.

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it had killed two Hamas commanders, one from the elite Nukbha force, and one from the Maghazi Battalion.