New strikes in Gaza: four Palestinians killed despite a tense ceasefire

Four Palestinians were killed Sunday in an Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, according to local health officials, as the ceasefire in place since October remains extremely fragile. This latest escalation comes as mediators attempt to revive efforts to solidify the agreement.

According to medical services, the strike targeted a group of people on Jaffa Street, near the Darraj neighborhood in Gaza City. The attack also left several people wounded. The Israeli army stated that its forces targeted members of a Palestinian militant cell operating near its troops and which it considered an immediate threat.

Since the ceasefire came into effect, Israel and Hamas have been accusing each other of repeated violations. Gaza's Ministry of Health claims that at least 700 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since October, while the Israeli army reports that four of its soldiers have been killed by Palestinian militants during the same period.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continue. A Hamas delegation recently traveled to Cairo to meet with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators as part of discussions surrounding a proposal for the movement's disarmament. According to several sources, Hamas has refused to consider laying down its weapons without clear guarantees of a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

The issue of disarmament is currently one of the main obstacles to the implementation of a plan supported by the American president. Donald Trump aiming to sustainably stabilize the Palestinian enclave. The conflict, triggered after the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 which killed 1,200 people in Israel, has since caused the deaths of more than 72,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to local authorities, and provoked a major humanitarian crisis in the territory.