At least eight killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza after Hamas agree disarmament deal

Overnight Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of at least eight individuals, according to Palestinian officials, with residential buildings being hit.

Gaza's Civil Defence Authority reported that Israeli military aircraft conducted the strikes across Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Deir el-Balah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated they were targeting military operatives in Gaza, confirming the deaths of two Hamas militants.

This marks the second consecutive night of Israeli strikes in the territory. The attacks occur just days after Hamas reportedly accepted a disarmament plan, which would involve the Palestinian group surrendering its weapons to US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace.

On Sunday, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen indicated that no agreement had been reached to halt attacks on the Gaza Strip, a territory currently under 70% Israeli control. Cohen further suggested that if Hamas does not disarm, the strip should come under full Israeli control, despite the Board of Peace's plan for an Israeli withdrawal from the territory, as reported by Reuters.

The IDF announced on X on Sunday that it had killed two Hamas commanders, one from the elite Nukbha force and another from the Maghazi Battalion.

Palestinian health officials reported that a strike on a residential building in Gaza City killed two people, including a child, while another person died near Jabalia in northern Gaza. In Khan Younis, a father, mother, and their nine-year-old son were killed in a house strike. Additionally, a man and woman died after their apartment block was hit in Deir el-Balah.

Since a supposed ceasefire took effect last October, over 1,100 Palestinians have been killed. Residents in Deir al-Balah are currently assessing the damage from the recent strikes.

Last week, President Trump announced that the Board of Peace had reached an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. On Friday, Trump insisted that Israel was "very happy" with the proposed agreement, calling it a "big step for the Middle East."

However, Israel remains highly skeptical of Hamas's willingness to relinquish its weapons or control in Gaza. Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir dismissed the draft as "not acceptable."

This disarmament plan is part of the second phase of a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire initiative aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza. The 20-point plan, unveiled in September last year, included the establishment of the Board of Peace to oversee the agreement's implementation, along with the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the reconstruction of Gaza.

A 15-point roadmap, outlining the final steps for implementing the agreement, was also published on Friday.

The roadmap, which has not yet been implemented, states: "A process shall begin to inventory and store heavy weapons, military production sites, weapons depots, and tunnels." This is conditional on Israel fulfilling its commitments under the initial ceasefire agreement.

The exact method for handing over weapons to the Board of Peace remains unclear, though it is believed that all heavy weapons and other military hardware would be moved into storage and managed by the Palestinian National Committee—a group of independent technocrats to whom Hamas has agreed to transfer power. This committee has been operating from Cairo and has not yet entered Gaza.

Satellite images reviewed by BBC Verify last November showed that Israel has destroyed over 1,500 buildings in areas of Gaza that have remained under its control since the ceasefire. The actual number is likely much higher, as imagery for some areas is unavailable. UN estimates indicate that approximately 60 million tonnes of debris have been generated since October 2023.

Hamas, designated as a terror organization by the UK government, has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007.