Palestine weekly: Israel kills dozens in Gaza after Hamas disarmament deal

A ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States and announced by President Donald Trump on July 30 was presented as a breakthrough toward disarming Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. The accord was negotiated through the Board of Peace, an entity established to oversee post-war reconstruction and governance in the territory. However, the agreement quickly became mired in fundamental disagreements between the parties.

Hamas negotiator Ghazi Hamad stated that the Palestinian group would not proceed with disarmament unless Israel met its obligations, specifically halting military operations and withdrawing forces from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office responded that Israeli forces would remain in place until Hamas was completely disarmed. This deadlock left the core terms of the agreement unimplemented.

Within days of the announcement, Israeli military strikes resumed with apparent intensity. Weekend strikes killed at least 26 Palestinians, including families struck in their homes across multiple locations in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Deir el-Balah. Among the dead were civilians including children and an unborn child. A separate strike destroyed a medicine warehouse at Al-Aqsa Hospital, eliminating critical medical supplies. The Israeli military stated it had targeted Hamas weapons depots and military operatives.

Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov condemned the escalation, stating that strikes across Gaza had killed civilians and destroyed essential medical supplies. Gaza's health ministry characterized the hospital strike as weaponizing medicine itself. The month in which these events occurred was noted as the deadliest in Gaza during the year, and the occupied West Bank experienced its highest toll of Israeli settler attacks since 2023.