Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza Continue Despite Truce

Jerusalem: The United States and other countries in the region are continuing their efforts to implement the roadmap for Gaza, while Israel is also continuing its military operations in various areas. Meanwhile, Washington says that negotiations have entered a practical phase, but differences remain over the timing of the Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of Hamas.

The Security Council, led by US President Donald Trump, has announced that Israel will not start withdrawing from Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed. This announcement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed reservations about some clauses of the roadmap. According to the council, Hamas has expressed its willingness to abandon light and heavy weapons and destroy its entire network of tunnels.

The statement said that the ultimate goal of the plan is the gradual transfer of Gaza to an independent civil administration, which would pave the way for a new phase of peace, stability, and reconstruction in the region. Meanwhile, a US official revealed that Security Council officials had held several meetings with the US Congress leadership, which included senior national security advisers and high-ranking officials from the Republican and Democratic parties in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The official said that the delegation had briefed them on the details of the Gaza roadmap, recent consultations with Israel and Hamas, and the mechanism for implementing President Trump's plan. He added that Congress was working on a bipartisan basis to promote peace efforts, security, and effective governance, as well as to ensure financial support for the reconstruction of Gaza in the next phase.

This progress came after weeks of negotiations led by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States, which resulted in Hamas and other Palestinian factions expressing their willingness to accept the clauses of the Gaza roadmap. The plan includes the end of military operations, the transfer of civilian and security powers to an independent national committee, the deployment of an international stabilization force, and the gradual organization of weapons.

However, a fundamental difference remains over the mechanism for implementing the agreement. Israel insists that Hamas must be completely disarmed before withdrawing from Gaza, while Hamas says that any action on weapons should be conditional on the actual start of the Israeli withdrawal and the full implementation of the agreement.

Despite the political progress, the Israeli army has continued its airstrikes on various areas of Gaza. According to Palestinian medical sources, two Palestinians were killed in an attack on a car on Sheikh Ajlin Road in central Gaza, while artillery shelling continued in eastern areas. There were also reports of firing towards tents of displaced people in the east of Khan Yunis city.

Gaza residents say they are waiting to see political agreements translated into concrete actions, so that the bombing stops and solid guarantees are provided to prevent the new agreements from failing. The situation in Gaza is accompanied by increased tension in the occupied West Bank. According to Palestinian sources, Israeli settlers attacked the villages of Telfit and Jalud, south of Nablus, burning several Palestinian homes and cars, while they also stormed the site of Joseph's Tomb, east of Nablus.

In the area of Yatta, south of Hebron, settlers released their livestock into Palestinian agricultural land, while another group infiltrated the outskirts of the town of Kfar Malik, east of Ramallah. On the other hand, the Israeli army raided Tulkarm, including the home of Moayyed Shaaban, head of the authority against the wall and settlement. The army then launched a wide campaign of searches and arrests in the Al-Faraa camp, south of Tubas, and in the city of Qalqilya.

In addition to the security situation, the people of Gaza are facing a growing humanitarian crisis, which has been exacerbated by the severe heat wave in the region. According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are forced to live in temporary tents with no proper ventilation and a severe shortage of water. This situation has increased the risk of heat-related illnesses and dehydration.

According to the local meteorological department, the temperature has been between 33 and 35 degrees Celsius over the past few days, and it is expected to remain above average throughout August. This will increase the suffering of the displaced and put more pressure on the health sector. On the other hand, diplomatic contacts are ongoing to implement the Gaza roadmap, but the success of the plan still depends on the ability of the mediators to bridge the gap between Israel's demand to disarm Hamas and Hamas's position that any security arrangement should be conditional on the Israeli army's withdrawal. Meanwhile, military operations and the humanitarian crisis continue to complicate the situation on the ground.