CAIRO: At least six Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes and gunfire across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to health officials, as regional mediators intensified efforts to rescue the fragile US-brokered ceasefire.
Medical sources said an Israeli air strike near Al-Yeman Al-Saeed Hospital in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza killed four people. Two others were killed in separate shooting incidents in Khan Younis and Gaza City. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the reported attacks.
The latest violence occurred as mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye concluded a week of discussions with Hamas and other Palestinian factions regarding the implementation of the second phase of US President Donald Trumpâs Gaza peace initiative. The proposed phase includes the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Although a ceasefire agreement brokered in October 2025 helped reduce large-scale fighting, it has not fully stopped Israeli military operations in Gaza nor secured the disarmament of Hamas. According to Gaza health officials, Israeli strikes have killed more than 950 people since the truce took effect.
Hamas maintains that progress toward a comprehensive peace agreement has been hindered by Israelâs failure to fulfill commitments made during the first phase of the ceasefire. Israel, meanwhile, says its military actions are aimed at preventing imminent attacks by Hamas and other armed groups.
On Sunday, Hamas and several Palestinian factions submitted a written response to a 15-point proposal presented by mediators and Trumpâs Board of Peace. While details of the response were not disclosed, sources familiar with the negotiations said the factions accepted 14 of the 15 points.
The primary obstacle remains the issue of Hamas disarmament. Hamas has linked any complete surrender of its weapons to the launch of a political process leading toward the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel, however, insists that Hamas must disarm, relinquish authority in Gaza, and have no role in the territoryâs future governance.
