GAZA/CAIRO – Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 13 Palestinians and injured dozens more since early Sunday morning, according to local sources, as Egyptian mediators launched a new round of talks aimed at salvaging a fragile ceasefire.
Al Jazeera reported that the attacks targeted multiple locations, including the al-Mawasi area near the southern city of Khan Younis, parts of Gaza City, and Deir el-Balah in the central Strip. In the initial wave of strikes, five people were killed at a police post in Khan Younis. Casualties have since risen as attacks continued throughout the day.
The ongoing violence underscores the deep fragility of the truce brokered by the United States in October 2025, which had largely paused major fighting between Hamas and Israel. Despite the agreement, the Israeli military has continued near-daily operations in the Palestinian territory. The Israeli army claims its strikes target only Hamas members and militant infrastructure.
Since the October 2025 ceasefire went into effect, medical sources and Gaza’s health ministry report that approximately 947 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,900 wounded in continued Israeli operations. During the same period, Hamas fighters have killed four Israeli soldiers, according to Israeli military figures.
Killings Amid ‘Ceasefire’ as Territorial Control Expands
Apartment buildings, markets, vehicles, and cafes have continued to be struck, often with little warning. Families report receiving displacement orders only minutes before their homes are bombed.
The Israeli military now controls an estimated 64 percent of the Gaza Strip, a significant increase from the 53 percent envisioned under the original ceasefire agreement. In these controlled areas, the army has forcibly displaced Palestinian residents and leveled remaining structures. On May 28, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he had instructed the military to expand Israeli control to 70 percent of the enclave.
The latest deadly strikes come as Egypt hosts renewed talks in Cairo with leaders from Hamas and other Palestinian factions. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye are attempting to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas to move into the second and more politically sensitive phase of the truce.
Stalled Second Phase and Disarmament Deadlock
Under the original US-backed roadmap, the first phase of the ceasefire saw Hamas release all remaining civilian captives in exchange for Israel freeing a number of Palestinian detainees. The second phase which has been stalled for months requires Hamas to disarm and Israeli forces to begin a complete withdrawal from Gaza, paving the way for reconstruction after more than two years of heavy bombardment.
However, both sides remain far apart on key sticking points. Hamas has refused to surrender its arsenal before a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel insists on maintaining security control to prevent any resurgence of militant capabilities.
On Friday, Husam Badran, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told Al Jazeera that the group is not yet ready to hand over its weapons. “The fate of its military arsenal will be decided following comprehensive discussions with other Palestinian factions,” Badran said, emphasizing that ending Israeli attacks in Gaza is essential for any progress.
Sources close to the Cairo talks, speaking to Reuters, indicated that discussions are expected to continue for several days. However, with violence escalating on the ground and both sides entrenched in their positions, the prospects for a breakthrough remain uncertain.
Broader Context of the Conflict
Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people and saw over 250 taken captive, Israel has launched a devastating military offensive on Gaza. According to Gaza’s health authorities, more than 72,971 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes and ground operations. The majority of the territory has been reduced to rubble, and nearly 1.9 million people over 80% of the population have been forcibly displaced.
Several prominent international scholars and a UN independent inquiry have characterized Israel’s conduct in Gaza as amounting to genocide, a charge Israel vehemently denies, stating it acts in self-defense and targets only combatants.
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