Why Israel keeps striking Gaza despite US-brokered ceasefire

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the Board of Peace roadmap, ruling out an IDF withdrawal from the enclave Israel has continued military operations in Gaza, intensifying strikes since US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a “historic agreement” to implement the next phase of the ceasefire. Dozens of Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed or wounded in recent days. Although Hamas accepted the proposal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out withdrawing from the enclave. What does the latest ceasefire roadmap propose? The plan emerged from talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and the US under the Washington-led Board of Peace. It outlines the next phase of the October ceasefire. Read more Israel strikes Gaza hours after Trump announces Hamas disarmament plan Under the proposal, Hamas would begin a phased disarmament process while Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza in stages. Civilian governance would be transferred to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a Palestinian technocratic body, followed by reconstruction efforts and the deployment of an international stabilization force. Trump described the proposal as a “monumental step toward lasting peace and security” and a key milestone in his broader plan for Gaza. What do Hamas and Israel say? The two sides remain at odds over the sequencing of the agreement’s key provisions. Netanyahu has said Israel did not agree to the Board of Peace’s plan and will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed, insisting the IDF will remain in the enclave’s so-called security zones “as long as necessary.” Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has also dismissed the roadmap as “unacceptable,” arguing military operations should continue. Hamas has reportedly formally accepted the proposal but insists disarmament cannot take place while Israeli forces remain in Gaza and the attacks continue.

The group says any handover of heavy weapons depends on a complete Israeli withdrawal, an end to hostilities, reconstruction, international guarantees and progress toward Palestinian statehood. What’s going on in Gaza? Israeli military operations have continued despite the ceasefire framework. Strikes reported across the enclave in recent days have pushed the number of Palestinians killed since the truce took effect to over 1,250, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Read more IDF soldiers ‘shot my three-year-old in the head’ – Gazan father (VIDEO) The truce has enabled recovery teams to access parts of the devastated enclave, where the remains of victims killed during earlier stages of the war continue to be uncovered. This week, Palestinians held a mass funeral for more than 100 bodies recovered from the rubble of a residential block in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to health officials. At least 7,400 people are estimated to remain buried beneath the rubble, although the true figure is believed to be significantly higher. Read more Thirty years of Netanyahu: The man who shaped modern Israel Nearly Gaza’s entire population of more than two million has been displaced. Much of the enclave has been destroyed, while overcrowded tent camps, shortages of food and medical supplies, and outbreaks of infectious diseases have compounded what the UN and humanitarian organizations have described as a severe humanitarian crisis. What do the mediators say? The continued strikes have drawn criticism from the countries that mediated the roadma