Symbolic imageIsraeli strikes continue in Gaza as disarmament roadmap stalls
Israeli air strikes hit Gaza for a second straight day on Sunday, with Palestinian tallies of the dead ranging from 8 to 18. Israel has still not publicly responded to the US roadmap for Hamas's disarmament.
What happened
- Israeli warplanes struck Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis from dawn on Sunday, 2 August, Palestinian health officials said.
- The Israeli military said a strike on a Deir al-Balah apartment targeted two commanders of Hamas's Nukhba force.
- A day earlier an Israeli strike destroyed medical supply stores at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital; the hospital denied army claims of weapons storage.
- Trump announced on Thursday, 30 July that Hamas had agreed to disarm; the Board of Peace issued a 15-point roadmap on Friday.
- Gaza's health ministry counts 152 killed in July and 1,222 since October's ceasefire; the UN calls its figures reliable.
The view from outside
Le Monde alone notes the Israeli army's own losses, five soldiers and one civilian contractor killed in Gaza since October. Telesur reports that former Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan says US adviser Jared Kushner told him he was working with Israel to halt the attacks.
What could happen next
- Israel's government has given no official response to the roadmap; Netanyahu has not commented publicly.
- Sunday's toll is contested: sources report between 8 and 18 dead, none independently verified.
- The order of Hamas disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal is unsettled; no roadmap step has been implemented.
Israel: Energy Minister Eli Cohen says there is no deal to halt attacks and that Hamas must be dismantled, or Israel will take full control of the strip.
Hamas: Hamas says it will hand its weapons over for storage only once Israel stops military operations and withdraws, and accuses Netanyahu's government of seeking escalation.
Also involved