Israel kills 8 in Gaza as US declares phase two of ceasefire deal launched

Israel kills 8 in Gaza as US declares phase two of ceasefire deal launched Two family homes come under Israeli attack in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, killing at least eight Palestinians. 'Phase two' of Gaza ceasefire launched: Violations continue as US plan moves to next stage Israel killed at least eight Palestinians across Gaza, just as the United States announced that the two sides had progressed to the second phase of a 20-point ceasefire deal with Hamas to end the conflict. The Wafa news agency reported that the Israeli military bombed two houses belonging to the al-Hawli and the al-Jarou families in the central town of Deir el-Balah on Thursday evening, with health officials confirming a 16-year-old minor was among those killed. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Trump on the future of Gaza: In his own words list 2 of 3 Gaza’s ceasefire moves to next phase, but is it working? list 3 of 3 Timeline of Israel’s genocide on Gaza The Israeli military announced that one of the victims, Muhammad al-Hawli, was a commander in the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili confirmed that a “senior figure of the Qassam Brigades” had been killed and that the attack underscored Israel’s message that it would be defining phase two of the ceasefire “on its terms”. Israel, he said, had set the terms of the next phase of the ceasefire, which will see the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic administration overseen by an international “Board of Peace”, with the option of “escalation” remaining very much “on the table”. ‘Despicable crime’ Hamas condemned the targeting of the al-Hawli home as a “despicable crime”, saying that it revealed the “contempt” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the October ceasefire, but did not confirm the death of one of its commanders. At least 451 Palestinians, including more than 100 children, have been reported killed since the ceasefire took effect, with Israel ordering residents out of more than half of Gaza, where its troops remain behind an apparently mobile “ yellow line “. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period. US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced in a post on X on Wednesday that the second phase of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the conflict had been launched, “moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction”. The next phase would bring “the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel”, he said, with reference to Hamas, which has so far refused to publicly commit to full disarmament. The plan also calls for the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units. The 15-member technocratic committee, named the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, will manage day-to-day governance, but leaves unresolved broader political and security issues, including the question of Israel’s post-war withdrawal from the enclave. Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in...

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