At least 10 Palestinians have been killed following Israeli air strikes and clashes between Hamas fighters and an Israel-backed Palestinian militia in central Gaza, according to local officials and medical sources.
The violence reportedly erupted east of the Maghazi refugee camp, where members of a militia aligned with Israel set up a checkpoint. Witnesses said the group came under attack from Hamas security personnel, triggering an armed confrontation that escalated quickly.
Local residents reported that Israeli drones later intervened in the clashes, carrying out air strikes targeting Hamas personnel at three different locations in the area.
A spokesperson for al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah confirmed that the bodies of 10 victims had been transported to the facility. Dozens of others were injured in the violence, with several reported to be in critical condition.
It remains unclear how many of the fatalities resulted from the ground fighting and how many were caused by the Israeli air strikes. The Israeli military and Hamas had not issued immediate official statements regarding the incident.
The latest violence comes nearly six months after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, which both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 723 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire was established. The Israeli military has said five Israeli soldiers have also been killed in attacks carried out by Palestinian armed groups during the same period.
The renewed clashes also highlight ongoing tensions surrounding efforts to extend the ceasefire and move toward a broader peace agreement.
One of the main obstacles to advancing negotiations has been the issue of disarmament among Palestinian armed groups. The matter is a key component of a 20-point peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump aimed at ending the conflict and stabilizing the region.
Last week, a Hamas delegation traveled to Cairo for discussions with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. The talks focused on a proposal backed by the US-led Board of Peace that would require Palestinian militant groups to decommission their weapons as part of the next phase of the peace process.
However, Hamas officials have strongly rejected the proposal in its current form.
On Sunday, Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, dismissed calls for the group to disarm before Israel fulfills its commitments under the first phase of the peace plan.
“We will not accept raising the issue of weapons in this crude manner,” Abu Ubaida said in a statement.
He added that Hamas would not surrender its weapons through political negotiations after surviving Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously insisted that Hamas must ultimately disarm, warning that it will happen “either the easy way or the hard way.”
Abu Ubaida also connected Hamas’s ongoing fight in Gaza to broader regional tensions involving Iran and its allies. He praised recent missile, rocket and drone attacks on Israel carried out by Iranian forces as well as Iran-backed groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi movement in Yemen.
The current war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas’s leadership and military infrastructure in Gaza.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 72,300 people have been killed in the territory since the war began.
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