Israeli Air Strikes Kill 11 in Gaza Amid Ongoing Ceasefire Violations

Eleven people were killed in Israeli air strikes in Gaza amid ongoing ceasefire violations between Israel and Hamas. The Gaza health ministry reports over 600 deaths since the ceasefire began. The strikes come as preparations continue for the US-backed Board of Peace to oversee Hamas disarmament and Gaza reconstruction. The conflict began with the Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023. Netanyahu and Trump also discussed Iran’s nuclear program, with further talks planned in Geneva.

Eleven people were killed in Israeli air strikes in Gaza on Sunday morning, according to Palestinian civil defence and health authorities. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that at least six people were killed when a strike hit a tent encampment in northern Gaza, while another strike in the southern part of the Gaza Strip resulted in five additional deaths.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that it had targeted terrorist positions in response to alleged ceasefire violations by Hamas. The IDF added that militants had been killed after emerging from a tunnel into areas of Gaza under Israeli military control. Since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October, both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of committing near-daily violations.
Gaza’s Civil Defence confirmed that 11 people had died in the strikes, while staff at the Al-Shifa hospital reported that a 12th person was killed in a separate exchange of gunfire, unrelated to the air strikes. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reported that at least 600 people have been killed since the ceasefire began. Earlier this month, at least 32 people were killed in a wave of Israeli air strikes across Gaza, according to local officials.
The latest attacks occurred as preparations continued for the second phase of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. Last month, US President Donald Trump announced the formation of a new body called the Board of Peace, which has a mandate from the United Nations Security Council to establish an international force to secure border areas in Gaza and oversee the disarmament of Hamas.
The Board of Peace, which is scheduled to hold its first meeting in Washington on 19 February, will also supervise the creation of a new technocratic Palestinian government in Gaza and oversee post-war reconstruction efforts. Ahead of the talks, Trump stated on Sunday that members of the board had pledged $5 billion (£3.6 billion) toward the reconstruction of Palestinian territories. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he also reiterated calls for Hamas to proceed with disarmament, despite the group’s previous position that it would only disarm after the establishment of a Palestinian state.
It was also announced last week that Indonesia, a member of the Board of Peace, would deploy 8,000 soldiers to Gaza to assist in facilitating phase two of the ceasefire agreement.
The current conflict traces back to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the capture of 251 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza, during which the territory’s health ministry reported more than 71,820 people have been killed.
In a separate development, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Washington on Wednesday to meet with US President Donald Trump to discuss measures to curb Iran’s nuclear programme, which Tehran maintains is solely for civilian purposes. Netanyahu aimed to push for an agreement to halt Iran’s uranium enrichment and limit its ballistic missile programme. However, Trump later stated that “nothing definitive [was] reached” and that talks with Iran would continue. Iran’s deputy foreign minister told BBC News that further discussions are scheduled to take place in Geneva on Tuesday, a date confirmed by an unnamed US official to Reuters news agency.