At least ten Palestinians have been killed in a series of violent incidents in central Gaza, according to local sources. The casualties resulted from both Israeli airstrikes and clashes between Hamas security forces and an Israel-backed Palestinian militia.
Witnesses reported that the violence began when militia members established a checkpoint east of the Maghazi refugee camp. Hamas personnel reportedly attacked the checkpoint, sparking intense fighting. Israeli drones then intervened, striking Hamas positions in three separate locations.
A spokesperson for al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah confirmed receiving the bodies of ten individuals from the scene, with dozens more wounded—some in critical condition. The exact breakdown of casualties between the airstrikes and ground fighting remains unclear.
"We will not accept raising the issue of weapons in this crude manner," said Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for Hamas's military wing, in a statement on Sunday. "What the enemy failed to take from us by tanks and destruction, it will not take from us through politics or at the negotiating table."
This incident occurs against a backdrop of strained ceasefire agreements. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of repeatedly violating the truce established nearly six months ago. Since that time, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reports over 723 Palestinian deaths from Israeli attacks, while Israel states five of its soldiers have been killed by Palestinian groups.
The disarmament issue continues to be a major obstacle in peace negotiations. Last week, Hamas representatives met with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators in Cairo to discuss a U.S.-led proposal for Palestinian groups to decommission weapons. Hamas maintains it will not consider disarmament until Israel fulfills its commitments under the initial phase of the peace plan.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously warned that Hamas will be disarmed "either the easy way or the hard way." Meanwhile, Hamas leadership has framed their resistance as part of a broader regional conflict, praising attacks on Israel by Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon and Yemen as extensions of their own struggle.
The ongoing violence traces back to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has resulted in over 72,300 Palestinian deaths according to local health authorities.