Israel Continues Gaza Airstrikes Despite 'Hamas Disarmament Agreement'

Doubts have been raised over the viability of the Gaza peace initiative proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, as Israel continues its airstrikes on Gaza even after Hamas expressed its willingness to agree to disarmament on the condition of an Israeli military withdrawal.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry cited in a Bloomberg report on the 3rd local time, at least 19 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip over the weekend (August 1–2).

Nikolay Mladenov, the High Representative for Gaza at the Peace Committee, said in a post on social media X, "The airstrikes over the past two days across Gaza have claimed civilian lives and destroyed medical supplies that people rely on."

The Peace Committee is a U.S.-led multinational body formed to implement President Trump's post-war vision for Gaza and oversee reconstruction and the transition of governance, with President Trump serving as its chair.

In addition, according to remarks by a Gaza civil defense official cited by AFP, an Israeli attack on a vehicle in the western part of Gaza City on the evening of the 3rd left two Palestinians dead and several others injured.

The Israeli military claimed that the strike targeted two militants.

The Gaza ceasefire brokered by the U.S. last October remains in effect, but Israeli airstrikes have intensified over recent weeks.

According to Health Ministry figures, the death toll among Palestinians reached 152 in July of this year, marking the highest monthly death toll since the ceasefire took effect in October of last year.

Israel claimed that 57 of them were members of Hamas or its allied faction, Palestinian Islamic Jihad.


According to Reuters and AP, more than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks even after the ceasefire went into effect.

The death toll among Palestinians, including both civilians and combatants, has reached approximately 73,000 in the Gaza war that began with Hamas's surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Israel argues that Hamas is using the ceasefire to rearm, replenish its forces, and prepare for new attacks against Israel.

According to the German dpa news agency, ceasefire mediators Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey condemned Israel in a joint statement on the 3rd for continuously violating the ceasefire agreement, urging Israel to comply with its obligations under international law and its commitments under the truce accord.

Previously, on July 30, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a initiative to establish a new Palestinian administrative and security system in the Gaza Strip, stating that the "Peace Committee" and Hamas had agreed on Hamas's disarmament and a phased Israeli withdrawal.

At the time, Hamas also publicly confirmed the agreement with the Peace Committee.

The agreement text also included a call for an immediate halt to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

However, the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has raised "serious security concerns" with the United States, stating that it never agreed to the wording of the published version of the peace plan.

The Peace Committee and the U.S. side are continuing efforts to persuade the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the Associated Press, High Representative Mladenov met with Prime Minister Netanyahu on the 3rd to discuss Hamas's disarmament and plans for the transition of post-war governance in Gaza.

He also urged a halt to the airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

Following the meeting, the Peace Committee stated that the discussions were "constructive and detailed," adding, "The goal is clear and unquestionable: the complete elimination of weapons in the Gaza Strip and the transition from rule by the gun to civilian governance."

However, the committee explained that the withdrawal of Israeli forces beyond the "Yellow Line" would take place only after Hamas completes the elimination of weapons promised to the mediators.

This is interpreted as an adjustment mindful of the Netanyahu government, which had protested that the Israeli position was not reflected in the publicly released agreement text.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.