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Israel says it will delay Gaza withdrawal amid continued strikes
Israeli officials said they see no halt in attacks, pointing to an assessment that Hamas is focused on rebuilding its military rather than demilitarizing.
Israeli air strikes continued in Gaza for a second straight day on Sunday, killing at least nine Palestinians, despite US President Donald Trump’s Thursday announcement of a breakthrough aimed at implementing last year’s Gaza ceasefire agreement, according to Reuters.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said there was no deal to halt attacks on Gaza and argued Israel needs to control the whole territory, noting Israel already controls around 70% of the Strip. Reuters also reported that Cohen is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet.
Reuters reported that a spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office, Doron Spielman, said Israel’s intelligence assessment is that Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military instead of genuinely demilitarizing, and warned that redeploying before Hamas is disarmed could allow it to expand its presence, rebuild its infrastructure, and threaten Israeli communities with another October 7-style attack.