Israeli strikes leave at least 4 dead in Gaza despite Trump announcing breakthrough

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed at least four Palestinians on Sunday as separate attacks hit Gaza City and Deir al-Balah. The strikes came even as a US-backed ceasefire roadmap remained stalled over disputes between Israel and Hamas.

In Short

• A couple died in Deir al-Balah when their apartment was struck
• Another residential strike in Gaza City killed two, including a child
• Trump recently claimed Hamas accepted disarmament under a US-backed truce initiative

Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continued for a second consecutive day on Sunday, killing at least four Palestinians, even as efforts backed by US President Donald Trump to revive and implement last year's ceasefire agreement remain deadlocked.

According to Palestinian health officials, Israeli warplanes carried out separate attacks in Gaza City and Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. Medics said a man and his wife were killed when an apartment in Deir al-Balah was hit, while four others were injured. In Gaza City, another strike on a residential apartment killed two people, including a child.

The latest attacks came days after Trump announced what he described as a breakthrough in efforts to enforce the ceasefire agreement brokered in Egypt last year. Trump said Hamas had agreed to disarm under a US-backed initiative aimed at ending hostilities and moving forward with the truce.

CEASEFIRE ROADMAP YET TO TAKE EFFECT

On Friday, Trump's Board of Peace released a 15-point roadmap outlining the final steps needed to implement the ceasefire agreement. However, the plan has yet to take effect as major differences remain between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas has maintained that it is willing to surrender its weapons only for storage and only after Israel halts military operations and withdraws its forces in accordance with the terms of the original agreement.

Israel, however, has signalled that any withdrawal would depend on what it describes as Hamas' "genuine disarmament." An Israeli official told Reuters that the military would not pull back from its current positions without concrete steps by Hamas to dismantle its armed capabilities.

US EFFORTS CONTINUE AMID ISRAELI POLITICAL OPPOSITION

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly commented on the US-backed initiative. However, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has rejected the proposal, saying Israel should continue targeting Hamas leaders rather than pursue the arrangement.

Adding another dimension to the diplomatic effort, former senior Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan, who is based in the United Arab Emirates, said Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a key figure involved in the initiative, had informed him that discussions with Israel were underway to stop attacks on Gaza.

In a Facebook post, Dahlan said contacts with US officials were continuing to secure full implementation of the agreement, but stressed that its success ultimately depended on Israel ending its military operations in the enclave.

Reuters said it had sought comment from the US State Department regarding Dahlan's claims, while there was no immediate response from Israeli authorities. As diplomatic efforts continue, violence on the ground has persisted, highlighting the fragile state of the proposed ceasefire.

- Ends