According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 120 Palestinians, including eight women and 13 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks since the Iran conflict was paused on April 8, marking a 20% increase compared with the preceding five-week period.

Conflict monitor Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) reported that Israeli attacks in Gaza rose by 35% in April compared with March, reflecting a renewed military focus on the territory after Israel scaled back operations linked to Iran.

The escalation underscores mounting difficulties surrounding US President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire and advance reconstruction plans in Gaza following more than two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas.

“The war is still ongoing,” said Lafi Al-Najjar, a 36-year-old blind Palestinian whose son was killed in an Israeli strike on April 28. Speaking from a tent camp in the ruins of Khan Younis, Najjar said conditions on the ground had not reflected public declarations of de-escalation.

Israel’s military did not immediately comment publicly on the increased pace of strikes. However, four Israeli defense officials told Reuters that military leaders had recently warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government that Hamas was tightening operational control, replenishing weapons supplies and rebuilding militant ranks.

An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the ceasefire arrangement permitted Israel to act against imminent threats. The official added that the military had prepared broader operational plans for a possible resumption of large-scale combat in Gaza, although no formal order had been issued.

The ceasefire agreement reached in October halted major fighting after two years of war but failed to produce a permanent political settlement.

Negotiations aimed at securing a full Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament and reconstruction of Gaza have stalled.

Israeli forces continue to control more than half of Gaza’s territory, where extensive demolition has left large areas uninhabitable. More than 2 million Palestinians are concentrated in a narrow coastal zone, many sheltering in damaged buildings or temporary encampments.

Since the October ceasefire, around 850 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to figures that do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. During the same period, four Israeli soldiers were killed by militants in Gaza. Hamas has not released casualty figures for its fighters.

Several Israeli strikes since mid-April have targeted positions associated with Gaza’s Hamas-run police force. Palestinian health and police officials said at least 14 police personnel had been killed since April 14.

Nasser Khdour, a researcher at ACLED, said Israeli attacks during April targeted Hamas operatives, allied militant factions, police facilities and security checkpoints across areas under Hamas administration.
Khdour said drone strikes, artillery shelling and gunfire had also continued near armistice lines, affecting both militants and civilians approaching Israeli positions.

Since March, Israel has simultaneously expanded military operations beyond Gaza, joining US strikes against Iran while continuing air and ground campaigns against the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. Although hostilities in Lebanon have slowed under a separate US-mediated ceasefire, clashes have persisted intermittently.

Medical officials said at least 13 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Friday across the Gaza Strip, including Islam Al-Tanani, who was pregnant with twins, and her children Hamza and Naya in the northern town of Beit Lahiya.

The deaths added to mounting civilian casualties despite the truce that took effect on Oct. 10, with residents and aid workers warning that daily strikes continue to make the ceasefire feel largely symbolic for many Palestinians.Khalid Al-Tanani, the husband of the deceased woman, described a series of strikes that hit their home in quick succession.

“With the first shell, thank God we all survived and were calling out to each other. Then they fired the second, third, and fourth shells one after the other. Their voices fell silent,” he said.“I found my wife, Islam Al-Tanani, martyred, and my son Hamza, and Naya in her mother’s arms.”Hamza was four years old and Naya was 13.

Islam was expecting twins, family members said.Hamza’s 13-year-old twin brother survived, along with another child of the couple. Relatives said the family had recently begun preparing for the arrival of the newborns.

Mourners gathered at the funeral on Saturday at Al-Shifa Hospital, where grieving relatives wept over the bodies before burial.In southern Gaza, officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said eight more people, including four police officers, were killed when Israel struck a police vehicle.

Two other men were reported killed in Gaza City, bringing Friday’s total death toll to at least 13, according to local hospitals.Israel’s military said several militants had threatened troops operating in the area and that forces carried out an airstrike after warning civilians to leave.

Al-Tanani disputed that account, saying no warning had been issued before the strikes.The military separately said it had targeted two militants who posed a threat to Israeli troops in Gaza City but did not comment directly on the strike in Khan Younis that killed eight people.

Although large-scale fighting has eased since the ceasefire began, Israeli forces continue to fire near military-held zones and militants have launched attacks on troops, contributing to repeated violations of the truce.Israel says its strikes are responses to militant activity and security threats. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, according to Israeli officials.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 790 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began six months ago. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, says 72,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.The war was triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, in which around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli authorities.

The continued bloodshed has deepened concerns among international mediators that the ceasefire remains highly vulnerable, with civilians bearing the heaviest cost of repeated breakdowns in calm.

Medics said Israeli aircraft targeted two checkpoints operated by the Hamas-run police force in Khan Younis, killing three policemen and three civilians, including a girl, and wounding four others.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes.Local health authorities said more than 680 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect in November, underscoring persistent hostilities despite the agreement.

The total death toll in Gaza since the start of the war in October 2023 has surpassed 72,000, according to officials in the territory.The latest strikes come as Israel remains engaged in a broader regional conflict, including military operations linked to tensions with Iran and ongoing hostilities with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Health officials in Gaza say at least 50 Palestinians have been killed since the escalation involving Iran began roughly a month ago.

Violence has continued intermittently across Gaza during the ceasefire period, with no indication of a sustained de-escalation.

The accord would mark a major foreign policy victory for Trump, who has pledged to bring resolution to protracted global conflicts including those in Gaza and Ukraine.

Israeli hostages held in Gaza may be released as early as Saturday under a U.S.-brokered plan aimed at ending the devastating war in the enclave, according to a source familiar with the agreement. The Israeli military is expected to complete the first stage of a partial withdrawal from Gaza within 24 hours of the deal being signed.

The formal signing of the ceasefire agreement, which constitutes the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace initiative for Gaza, is scheduled for Thursday at noon Israel time (0900 GMT), the source said.

The deal comes amid cautious optimism and widespread relief across both Israel and the Palestinian territories after Trump announced late Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had reached consensus on a ceasefire and hostage release plan — a move that could mark the most significant diplomatic breakthrough since the war erupted two years ago.

A war that reshaped the Middle East

The conflict, which began following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, has left more than 67,000 people dead in Gaza, according to local authorities, and has drawn in regional actors including Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon.

Israel’s assault flattened much of the coastal strip, while sparking growing global condemnation over what rights experts and a U.N. inquiry have described as possible genocide — an accusation Israel strongly denies, maintaining its operations constitute self-defense.

“Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing,” said Abdul Majeed Abd Rabbo, speaking from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. “All of Gaza is happy, all Arab people are happy, and the world is happy with the end of the bloodshed.”

Despite the jubilation, analysts warn that the agreement remains fragile, lacking clarity on several core issues including post-war governance of Gaza and the long-term fate of Hamas.

Trump announces breakthrough

“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump said on Truth Social. “This means that all of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed line as the first steps toward a strong, durable, and everlasting peace.”

If successfully implemented, the accord would mark a major foreign policy victory for Trump, who has pledged to bring resolution to protracted global conflicts including those in Gaza and Ukraine.

“This deal brings us closer than any previous effort to halting a war that has engulfed the region,” a senior Western diplomat involved in the talks told Al Arabiya English on condition of anonymity. “But much will depend on how both sides implement the next steps.”

Netanyahu hails ‘national victory’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would convene on Thursday to formally approve the plan.

“With the approval of the first phase of the plan, all our hostages will be brought home,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “This is a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel.”

The conflict, which saw Israel assassinate top leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah, and several Iranian commanders, has redrawn the Middle East’s political landscape. Yet Israel has faced unprecedented global backlash over the scale of civilian casualties and destruction in Gaza.

Under the new accord, Israel is to withdraw troops from specific areas of Gaza while maintaining “security control” along agreed buffer zones. In exchange, Hamas is expected to release all surviving hostages, with their return to begin within 72 hours of the agreement’s ratification.

Hostage release expected within days

Families of hostages gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to welcome the announcement, many waving Israeli flags and holding photos of their loved ones.

“President Trump, thank you very much,” said Hatan Angrest, whose son Matan is among those still held. “Our children would not be coming home without your help.”

According to a Hamas source, living hostages will be handed over within 72 hours of the deal’s approval, while recovery of the bodies of deceased hostages — believed to number about 28 — “will take longer” due to the extensive destruction in Gaza.

Trump told Fox News’ “Hannity” program that hostages could be released by Monday, adding that coordination was underway with Qatari and Egyptian mediators to oversee the exchange.

Israeli officials say 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage during the Hamas-led cross-border assault in 2023. Of the 48 hostages confirmed to remain in Gaza, around 20 are believed to still be alive.

Hamas confirms deal includes withdrawal, prisoner exchange

Hamas confirmed in a statement that it had agreed to the terms of the ceasefire, which include an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and a hostage-prisoner exchange.

“We affirm that the sacrifices of our people will not be in vain,” Hamas said. “We will remain true to our pledge — never abandoning our people’s national rights until freedom, independence, and self-determination are achieved.”

In the southern city of Khan Younis, Palestinian resident Khaled Shaat described the news as “historic.”

“These are long-awaited moments after two years of killing and genocide that were committed against the Palestinian people,” he said.

However, several key aspects of the deal remain unresolved — particularly who will govern Gaza once Israeli troops withdraw and whether Hamas will retain any administrative or security role.

Post-war governance unclear

The next phase of Trump’s 20-point framework envisions the creation of an international oversight body led by the U.S. and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to help manage Gaza’s post-war transition. The body would coordinate reconstruction, security, and humanitarian operations during a two-year interim period.

But Hamas has rejected any foreign administration, saying it would only accept a Palestinian technocratic government under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority and backed by Arab and Muslim countries.

“We will not accept foreign rule or trusteeship over Gaza,” a Hamas political official told Al Arabiya English. “Gaza’s future must be decided by Palestinians.”

Arab states insist on path to Palestinian statehood

Several Arab governments that have quietly backed the Trump plan said any long-term settlement must pave the way toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

“Peace will not be sustainable without addressing the core issue — Palestinian sovereignty,” a senior Arab diplomat said. “Any arrangement that ignores this will eventually fail.”

Israeli officials, however, have reiterated that no Palestinian state will be established under Netanyahu’s government. The Israeli leader has repeatedly stated that his priority remains ensuring “complete demilitarization of Gaza” and preventing Hamas or any other armed group from re-emerging.

Economic and regional impact

News of the potential ceasefire triggered a sharp fall in global oil prices, as investors welcomed reduced risk to supply chains amid fears of a wider Middle East escalation. Analysts noted that a sustained truce could ease regional tensions and reopen diplomatic channels between Israel and Arab states that had been strained since the war began.

“This is a significant de-escalation signal,” said an energy strategist in Dubai. “Markets are responding to the likelihood that the most immediate source of instability — the Gaza war — may finally be nearing its end.”

Skepticism remains

Despite the optimism, observers cautioned that previous ceasefire efforts have repeatedly collapsed, often within days of being declared.

“The fact that this deal has been brokered directly through Washington gives it weight,” said a former Israeli intelligence official. “But without guarantees from Egypt and Qatar — and without addressing Hamas’s long-term status — it could unravel quickly.”

Trump and Netanyahu spoke by phone late Wednesday, congratulating each other on what both described as a “historic achievement.” Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli leader had invited Trump to address the Knesset following the official signing ceremony.

For war-weary civilians on both sides, the agreement offers a rare glimmer of hope — though uncertainty lingers over what will follow.

“People in Gaza have lost everything,” said a humanitarian worker in Rafah. “If this ceasefire holds, it will be the first real chance in years for families to rebuild their lives — but peace will need more than a pause in fighting.”