Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least three Palestinians, including two children, on Thursday as regional mediators continued fresh diplomatic efforts to advance a US-backed ceasefire plan. Health officials said the attacks occurred in Khan Younis and the Bureij refugee camp, while negotiations were underway in Cairo to secure further implementation of the peace framework.
Medical sources said an airstrike on a tent encampment in Khan Younis killed a man and an eight-year-old girl. In a separate incident, another Israeli strike hit a residential house in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, killing an 18-month-old child and injuring at least eight other people.
The Israeli military said both operations targeted Hamas positions. Gaza health authorities reported that more than 1,200 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, although the truce significantly reduced full-scale fighting. Hamas has not publicly disclosed its own casualty figures.
Meanwhile, Hamas representatives met mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye in Cairo to discuss the second phase of a US-sponsored peace initiative. The proposed framework includes increased humanitarian aid, governance by a civilian Palestinian administration, Israeli troop withdrawal, Hamas disarmament, and the deployment of an international security force.
A Hamas official described the group’s response during the talks as “positive and good” but stopped short of confirming acceptance of full disarmament. Sources familiar with the negotiations suggested Hamas may agree to place heavy weapons under the supervision of a Palestinian authority rather than surrender them directly to Israel.
Israel continues to insist that Hamas relinquish power in Gaza and completely disarm before a lasting settlement can be reached. Although Hamas dissolved its de facto governing administration last month, it has retained a caretaker structure to maintain essential public services across the territory.
The latest Israeli strikes in Gaza underscore the fragile nature of the ceasefire despite renewed diplomatic engagement. With humanitarian conditions remaining severe and key political disagreements unresolved, mediators face significant challenges in securing a durable agreement that can end the conflict and improve conditions for Gaza’s civilian population.
