Israeli Strikes Kill 4 in Gaza as Ceasefire Roadmap Stalls

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- Israeli airstrikes killed at least four Palestinians on Sunday in separate attacks on Gaza City and Deir al-Balah, including a child in Gaza City and a married couple in central Gaza, with four others injured.
- The bombings marked a second consecutive day of strikes despite Trump's announcement of a ceasefire enforcement breakthrough and the Board of Peace's Friday release of a 15-point roadmap to implement last year's Egypt-brokered agreement.
- Hamas has conditioned weapons surrender on storage-only handover and demands that Israel first halt military operations and withdraw forces under the original agreement.
- Israel has refused to pull back, telling Reuters the military will not leave current positions without concrete Hamas steps to dismantle its armed capabilities.
- National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly rejected the US-backed initiative, saying Israel should continue targeting Hamas leaders rather than pursue the arrangement, while Netanyahu has not commented publicly.
- Former Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan, based in the UAE, said Jared Kushner told him US-Israeli discussions to stop Gaza attacks were underway, though Reuters said it could not reach US or Israeli officials for comment.
Why it matters: With the sequencing of disarmament versus withdrawal still unresolved and an Israeli cabinet minister actively opposing the deal, the 15-point roadmap has no operative path forward — leaving Gaza's civilians exposed to daily strikes. The gap between Trump's announced breakthrough and continued fatalities is not rhetorical; it's a child killed in Gaza City the same weekend the plan was published.
