Israeli Strikes Kill 13 in Gaza After Hamas Disarmament Deal
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- Israeli military forces struck Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Deir el-Balah on consecutive nights, killing at least 13 Palestinians including several children, according to Gaza's Civil Defence Authority.
- The IDF said it killed two Hamas commanders — one from the elite Nukbha force and one from the Maghazi Battalion — and a third militant from the Jabalia Battalion in a separate attack last week, claiming all were planning attacks on Israeli targets.
- Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen stated no deal had been reached to halt attacks and that Gaza should be placed under full Israeli control if Hamas refuses to disarm — directly contradicting the Board of Peace plan requiring Israeli troop withdrawal.
- More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed since the supposed ceasefire took effect last October, and Israel has destroyed more than 1,500 buildings in areas of Gaza remaining under its control, per BBC Verify satellite imagery.
- Trump's 20-point plan, unveiled in September, calls for a Board of Peace to oversee disarmament, Israeli withdrawal, and Gaza reconstruction, with a 15-point roadmap published Friday outlining the inventory and storage of heavy weapons, tunnels, and military sites.
- Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir dismissed the disarmament draft as 'not acceptable,' and the Palestinian National Committee tasked with receiving power from Hamas has yet to enter Gaza, still operating from Cairo.
Why it matters: The strikes expose the fundamental gap between the Trump-brokered 'ceasefire' framework — under which 1,100+ Palestinians have already died since October — and the reality on the ground, where Israel is simultaneously destroying infrastructure and demanding full control rather than withdrawal. The Board of Peace plan has no enforcement mechanism visible in the source, and key Israeli cabinet members publicly reject it.
