The China Mail - Gaza officials say Israeli strikes kill seven day after deal

The Israeli military for its part said it had struck Hamas weapons depots as Israel insists on verifying that the group behind the October 7, 2023 attacks is disarmed.

The strikes come a day after Hamas said it had agreed to the latest phase in a deal championed by US President Donald Trump that includes provisions for handing over its weapons and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

Israel has yet to officially comment on the agreement, but a political source has told AFP "that there will be no withdrawal whatsoever" without Hamas's "genuine disarmament".

Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for Gaza's civil defence agency, told AFP that seven people were killed and several others injured across the Gaza Strip since dawn Saturday.

He said that two of the people were killed and several injured in a strike by Israeli warplanes on a rooftop southwest of Gaza City. Al-Shifa Hospital reported two dead from the rooftop strike.

Among other incidents, the civil defence agency, which serves as a rescue service under Hamas, said two people were killed and several injured when Israel hit near a pharmacy northwest of Gaza City. The Al-Shifa Hospital identified the bodies of two people from that strike.

When contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was "aware of one strike in the area on a Hamas terrorist".

In a statement, the military also said that it had struck several areas across Gaza and dismantled five Hamas weapons storage facilities.

It said that one weapons storage facility it struck was next to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and had been "used as a hideout by Hamas terrorists".

Israel has throughout its war with Hamas accused the militants of using civilian infrastructure to conceal fighters and weapons, and to stage operations.

AFP footage from the site showed a huge crater in the ground, next to which dozens of Palestinians sifted through what appeared to be medical supplies that had been scattered by the blast.

The Palestinian health ministry condemned "the heinous crime committed by Israeli occupation forces" which it said had "obliterated two of the four warehouses" for medical supplies, severely damaged the other two and damaged the adjacent outpatient clinic building.

"Vital quantities of medical consumables and supplies intended for the care of patients and the wounded were lost or destroyed," it added.

Restrictions imposed on media outlets and limited access in Gaza prevent AFP from independently verifying tolls or freely covering the violence there.

- 'I hope the war ends' -

People in Gaza, where the vast majority of people have been displaced in the war, voiced only guarded hope for the latest stage of the agreement.

Jaber Abed, 33, said he and his family had fled their tent next to the hospital at dawn.

"I hope the war truly ends and that we can live like human beings," he told AFP, but added he was not hopeful that Israel would implement the ceasefire agreement without pressure from Trump.

Abdullah Al-Hou, 33, who is from northern Gaza and displaced in Deir al-Balah, said the people of Gaza were "living between hope and fear".

"Talking about a timeline for implementing the agreement is a positive step, but the continued airstrikes, shelling and gunfire make everyone hesitant to believe that the war is truly nearing its end," he said.

"We want a genuine ceasefire because every hour of delay means more victims."

Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim told AFP on Saturday that "the ball is currently in the Israeli occupation's court" and called on mediators to "pressure Israel to halt violations and breaches of the ceasefire".

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