Ten killed in Israeli strikes and clashes between Hamas and militia in Gaza, local sources say
Israeli Strikes and Clashes in Gaza Result in Ten Fatalities
Local reports indicate at least ten Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes and combat involving Hamas and an Israel-aligned Palestinian group in central Gaza. The attacks reportedly targeted Hamas security forces who engaged with the militia east of the Maghazi refugee camp. However, the precise number of casualties attributed to the strikes versus ground fighting remains uncertain.
A hospital official in Deir al-Balah stated that ten bodies were delivered to al-Aqsa hospital, while additional injuries were reported, with some individuals in critical condition. Neither the Israeli military nor Hamas has issued a formal response to the incident, leaving the sequence of events on Monday ambiguous.
Witnesses claimed that the militia established a checkpoint in the area, prompting an assault by Hamas security personnel. This led to armed confrontations, after which Israeli drones intervened, conducting strikes on Hamas targets across three locations. The militia’s actions were described as part of a broader escalation, with both parties accusing each other of breaching the ceasefire established six months prior.
Since the agreement, the Hamas-run health ministry reported 723 Palestinian deaths due to Israeli attacks, while the Israeli military stated five of its soldiers had been killed by Palestinian groups. Disarmament has emerged as a central obstacle in advancing the second phase of Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan. Last week, a Hamas delegation participated in mediation talks in Cairo, where it expressed initial concerns about the proposal for Palestinian armed groups to dismantle their weapons.
Abu Ubaida, a Hamas spokesperson, emphasized that the group would not consider disarmament until Israel fulfilled its obligations under the first phase of the peace plan. “We will not accept raising the issue of weapons in this crude manner,” he said, referencing the death of his namesake 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.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously warned Hamas that it would be disarmed “either the easy way or the hard way.” Abu Ubaida also connected Hamas’s actions in Gaza to the larger geopolitical conflict involving Israel, the United States, and Iran’s allies. He praised missile and drone attacks by Iran-backed groups in Lebanon and Yemen, calling them an “extension” of the conflict initiated by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
The Gaza war began with the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on that date, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and the capture of 251 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has led to more than 72,300 casualties in the region, according to the territory’s health ministry. The ongoing dispute over disarmament highlights the challenges in achieving lasting peace under the proposed framework.
