Ten Killed in Israeli Strikes and Gaza Clashes, Local Sources Report

Local reports indicate at least 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air attacks and confrontations involving Hamas and an Israel-backed militia in central Gaza. The strikes targeted Hamas security forces following clashes with the militia east of the Maghazi refugee camp. The precise number of casualties from the strikes versus the ground combat is still uncertain.

A hospital representative in Deir al-Balah stated that 10 bodies were delivered to the facility. Additional injuries were reported, with some patients in critical condition. Neither the Israeli military nor Hamas has issued a statement on the incident. Witnesses claimed the militia established a checkpoint east of Maghazi, which became a target for Hamas security forces, igniting the conflict.

Israeli drones reportedly provided aerial support, launching strikes on Hamas personnel in three areas. The ongoing dispute centers on the ceasefire agreement from six months prior, which both sides accuse each other of breaking. Since then, the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza claims 723 Palestinians have died in Israeli attacks. The Israeli military notes five of its soldiers were killed by Palestinian groups during the same period.

Disarmament as Key Issue in Peace Plan

Disarmament has emerged as a critical challenge for advancing the second phase of Donald Trump’s 20-point peace initiative. Last week, a Hamas delegation engaged with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators in Cairo to discuss a U.S.-led proposal for Palestinian groups to dismantle their weapons. On Sunday, the spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing opposed disarmament discussions until Israel fulfills its obligations under the initial phase of the plan.

“We will not accept raising the issue of weapons in this crude manner,” said Abu Ubaida, whose namesake was killed in an Israeli strike last year. “What the enemy failed to take from us by tanks and destruction, it will not take from us through politics or at the negotiating table.”

Abu Ubaida also tied Hamas’s actions in Gaza to the broader conflict involving Israel, the U.S., and Iran’s allies. He praised missile, drone, and rocket attacks by Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon and Yemen as a continuation of the conflict initiated by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The Gaza war began with that day’s Hamas assault on southern Israel, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and 251 captives. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has since claimed more than 72,300 casualties, according to the territory’s health ministry.