Israeli Strikes Kill Eight in Gaza as Hamas Postpones Negotiations

At least eight people were killed in Israeli air strikes that hit Gaza City in the early hours of Thursday (4/6) local time. Simultaneously, Hamas decided to postpone a meeting with mediators in Egypt until the weekend, demanding a halt to Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal stated that seven victims died in a strike targeting a residential building in Gaza City. Another victim was killed in a strike on the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of the city. The attacks also wounded at least 15 people, who were treated at Al-Shifa Hospital. ‘At least eight martyrs fell as a result of the Israeli air strikes on Gaza City at dawn,’ Bassal said. Violence persists despite a ceasefire agreement officially coming into effect in October last year. The majority of the Gaza Strip remains under Israeli military control. According to Gaza health authorities, at least 936 Palestinians have been killed since the truce was implemented, figures frequently cited by the UN. Deadlock also overshadows the transition process towards the second phase of the ceasefire, which should include the disarming of Hamas and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The process has shown no significant progress for several months. Tensions escalated further after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week announced orders for the military to seize 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip. In a separate development, Hamas decided to postpone the meeting with mediators originally scheduled for Wednesday local time in El-Alamein, Egypt. The meeting was supposed to bring together a Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya with various Palestinian factions and mediators from Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar. According to sources, Hamas requested the postponement because it assessed that dialogue would not yield progress while Israeli attacks continued. Hamas spokesperson Taher al-Nunu said the organisation is continuing intensive coordination with mediators to ensure tangible results on the ground. ‘The mediators must compel the Israeli occupation to stop the killing, bombing, and starvation taking place in Gaza,’ Al-Nunu stressed. Hamas urged that the National Committee for Gaza Administration, a 15-member body formed under the ceasefire agreement, be immediately allowed to enter the Gaza Strip to carry out its duties. Hamas has indicated it does not rule out handing over part of its arsenal, but only within the framework of a broader Palestinian political process. Meanwhile, Israel continues to demand full disarmament.