Daijiworld Media Network - Gaza
Gaza, Feb 15: At least 11 Palestinians were killed in fresh Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, Palestinian officials said, as Israel maintained the strikes were in response to alleged ceasefire violations by Hamas.
Gaza medics reported that an airstrike on a tent encampment sheltering displaced families killed at least four people. Health officials said another strike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza left five dead, while one person was reportedly shot dead in the north.
Airstrikes also targeted what was believed to be a commander of the Islamic Jihad group, an ally of Hamas, in the Tel Al-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City.
Hazem Qassem, spokesperson for Hamas in Gaza, accused Israel of carrying out a new “massacre” against displaced civilians, calling it a serious breach of the ceasefire agreement just days before the first meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace initiative.
An Israeli military official described Sunday’s strikes as “precise” and consistent with international law, alleging that Hamas had repeatedly violated the October ceasefire arrangement.
According to the Israeli military, militants emerged from a tunnel on the Israeli side of the so-called “Yellow Line,” a demarcation agreed upon under the ceasefire to separate Israeli- and Hamas-controlled zones. The official said crossing the line while armed constituted an explicit violation intended to target Israeli troops.
Israel has reportedly shifted the Yellow Line deeper into Gaza, though phased Israeli withdrawals are part of the ceasefire framework. Hamas has so far rejected calls to disarm, another key element of the proposed plan, with Israel warning it would compel disarmament if necessary.
The war began after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which Israeli authorities say killed more than 1,200 people. Since then, Israel’s air and ground campaign in Gaza has resulted in over 72,000 deaths, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The Gaza health ministry stated that at least 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire deal came into effect, while Israel says four of its soldiers have died in Gaza during the same period.
Qassem urged participants of the upcoming international meeting in Washington to pressure Israel to adhere fully to the ceasefire agreement and halt further strikes.
U.S. officials had earlier indicated that President Donald Trump is expected to unveil a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction plan for Gaza and outline proposals for a UN-authorized stabilization force during the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it continues operations to dismantle underground tunnels in northern Gaza in accordance with the agreement, adding that aircraft struck a building east of the Yellow Line after spotting militants emerging from a tunnel, reportedly killing at least two. Gaza authorities said they had no immediate confirmation of those casualties.
Tensions remain high as both sides continue to trade accusations of ceasefire violations, raising concerns over the durability of the fragile truce.