OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli airstrikes continued across Gaza for a second consecutive day on Sunday, killing at least nine Palestinians, despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement that progress had been made toward implementing last year’s ceasefire agreement.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said there is no agreement to halt military operations in Gaza and argued that Israel should take full control of the territory, where it already holds about 70 percent.
Cohen, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, said he did not believe Hamas would genuinely disarm.
According to Palestinian health officials, Israeli airstrikes targeted multiple locations, including Gaza City, Deir Al-Balah, Khan Younis, and areas near Jabalia.
In Deir Al-Balah, an airstrike on an apartment killed a man and his wife and injured four others. In Gaza City, another strike killed two people, including a child. In the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, a father, mother, and their nine-year-old son were killed when their home was struck before dawn. Another fatality was reported near Jabalia in northern Gaza.
The Israeli military said the strike in Deir Al-Balah targeted two commanders from Hamas’ elite Nukhba force. It added that the operations in Gaza City and Jabalia were aimed at Hamas military operatives and that the results of those strikes were still under review.
Palestinian officials say that at least 1,230 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since a ceasefire agreement was reached in October.
Hamas agrees to disarm in Gaza
On Thursday, President Trump announced a breakthrough after Hamas agreed to disarm under a US-backed initiative designed to implement the ceasefire negotiated in Egypt last year.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the agreement, reached through the Board of Peace, outlines a phased Israeli military withdrawal linked to the completion of Hamas’s disarmament.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 30, 2026
According to Trump, an International Stabilisation Force will assume responsibility for maintaining security in Gaza alongside a newly established Palestinian police force. He said the new security framework is intended to ensure the safety of both Gaza’s residents and neighbouring Israel.
“As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilisation Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbours,” Trump wrote.
The Board of Peace also announced on Friday that Hamas has agreed to a detailed roadmap for implementing the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire, following months of negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and the United States.
The Board of Peace and the mediating countries of Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the United States today are pleased to announce that Hamas has agreed to a detailed Roadmap for implementing the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire.
The agreement concludes months of intensive, good…
— Board of Peace (@BoardOfPeace) July 31, 2026
In a statement posted on X, the Board of Peace said the agreement advances US President Donald Trump’s vision for new governance, security, humanitarian relief, reconstruction and economic recovery in Gaza, as outlined in the Comprehensive Peace Plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
Board of peace releases 15-point roadmap
The following day, the US-led Board of Peace released a 15-point roadmap outlining the final steps needed to put the agreement into effect.
The Board of Peace said the agreement aims to improve living conditions for Palestinians in Gaza while strengthening security for Israel.
Also Read: Hamas Agrees to Disarm in Gaza Under Board of Peace Plan Announced by Trump
It added that attention will now shift to implementing the roadmap. The Board said it has been working closely with the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which is expected to assume authority through a phased transition supported by the International Stabilisation Force (ISF).
Despite the announcement, the roadmap has not yet been implemented. Hamas has stated that it will place its weapons into storage only after Israel ends military operations and withdraws its forces in accordance with the ceasefire terms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly commented on the US initiative. Meanwhile, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir rejected the proposal, saying Israel should continue targeting Hamas leaders.
