18 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza

Airstrikes on Gaza continued for a second consecutive day, killing 18 Palestinians, despite the announcement of an agreement on disarming Hamas and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Strip.

On Friday, the Peace Council chaired by US President Donald Trump released a 15-point roadmap outlining the final steps to implement the agreement, which stipulates that Tel Aviv and the movement must halt their military operations.

The plan also calls for a “gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from areas still under their control in Gaza,” as well as the “dismantling of armed groups,” including Hamas.

However, Tel Aviv expressed “grave security concerns” to the White House regarding the proposed disarmament agreement with Hamas.

Doron Shpilman, spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, told The Associated Press that “intelligence assessments indicate that Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its army rather than genuinely disarming.”

He added that the army would not withdraw from Gaza—where it controls more than 60% of the Strip—before the movement disarms.

He continued, “Our assessment is that if we redeploy our forces before Hamas is genuinely disarmed, it will quickly expand its presence throughout Gaza, rebuild its terrorist infrastructure, and once again threaten Israeli communities, seeking to carry out another attack similar to the October 7, 2023 assault.”

On the ground, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on the city of Gaza, Deir al-Balah, and Khan Younis in the north, center, and south of the Strip, resulting in dozens of martyrs and wounded, including women and children.

The army stated in a statement that strikes carried out in Deir al-Balah targeted two commanders from the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.