Ten killed in Israeli strikes and clashes between Hamas and militia in Gaza, local sources say
Ten killed in Israeli strikes and clashes between Hamas and militia in Gaza, local sources say
Local reports indicate at least 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes and confrontations between Hamas and an Israel-aligned Palestinian group in central Gaza. The attacks reportedly focused on Hamas security officers involved in skirmishes with the militia near the Maghazi refugee camp. However, the exact number of casualties attributed to the strikes versus the ground fighting remains uncertain.
A representative from al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah confirmed that ten bodies were delivered to the facility from the scene. Additional victims were injured, with several in critical condition, according to the hospital spokesperson. Neither the Israeli military nor Hamas has yet issued a formal statement on the incident.
Timeline of Monday’s events under scrutiny
Witnesses described how the Israel-backed militia established a checkpoint east of Maghazi, prompting an assault by Hamas security forces. This led to intense clashes, with Israeli drones reportedly providing support to the militia, targeting Hamas personnel in three distinct locations.
Israel and Hamas have been accusing each other of breaching the ceasefire agreement they reached nearly six months ago. The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza claims at least 723 Palestinians have died in Israeli attacks since the truce began. In response, the Israeli military stated five of its soldiers were killed in similar incidents during the same timeframe.
Disarmament as a key challenge
Disarmament has emerged as a critical obstacle to advancing the second phase of Donald Trump’s 20-point peace initiative. Recently, a Hamas delegation met with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators in Cairo to discuss a proposal from the US-led peace board urging Palestinian groups to dismantle their weapons. Hamas’s military spokesperson, Abu Ubaida, dismissed the idea of disarmament before Israel fulfills its obligations under the first phase of the plan.
“We will not accept raising the issue of weapons in this crude manner,” said Abu Ubaida, who lost a relative in an Israeli strike last year. He further remarked: “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 connected Hamas’s actions in Gaza to the broader geopolitical conflict involving Israel, the US, and Iran’s allies. He praised missile, drone, and rocket attacks by Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon and Yemen as an “extension” of Hamas’s October 7 assault on southern Israel. The attack resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 captives taken. In response, Israel launched a military operation against Hamas, leading to over 72,300 casualties in the region, as reported by the territory’s health ministry.
