Israel continues deadly Gaza attacks as deal moves into phase two

Israeli forces have killed at least 10 Palestinians and wounded several in attacks across Gaza.
It comes after the United States announced the launch of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

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As we’ve been reporting, Trump has announced the formation of a “Board of Peace”. But are Palestinians in Gaza skpetical?

“People want everything back like it was before the war: schools, hospitals, travel,” said Arwa Ashour, a freelance journalist and writer based in Gaza City. “If the Board of Peace is going to resolve all these crises, then we welcome it. But if it’s unable to do so, then what is its benefit?

Ashour explained that after two years of war and more than 18 years of governance in the Palestinian enclave by Hamas, there is a desire for change in Gaza.

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Trump has said that members of the Gaza “Board of Peace” have been selected and will be announced shortly, adding that he would be the chair.

In a social media post, Trump claimed it would be “the greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled”.

“As chairman of the board, I’m backing a Palestinian technocratic govt and the national committee to govern gaza during its transition. With the support of Egypt, Turkey and Qatar, we will secure a comprehensive demilitarisation agreement with Hamas,” he wrote.

This board is expected to oversee Gaza’s post-war transition and supervise a newly established 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee responsible for day-to-day governance in the enclave.Palestinian woman killed by Israeli fire in southern Gaza
A 62-year-old Palestinian woman has been killed by Israeli gunfire in al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, an Al Jazeera team on the ground is reporting.

Injuries have also been reported in the attack.

The killing comes after 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza on Thursday.

The latest incident on Friday brings the number of Palestinians killed since the October ceasefire to 452, according to data from Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Announcement of second phase brings more Israeli strikes
Israel has scaled up its attacks across Gaza. The latest air strikes were concentrated on the central city of Deir el-Balah and at least six Palestinians were killed and many more wounded.

The recent attacks underscore that Israel is trying to keep military options on the table despite the talk of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement starting.

As these attacks happened, panic broke out among residents. They were hoping the second phase would bring more aid and border crossings would be opened by Israel.

But they found the reality is different. Drones are hovering above at a very low altitude, spreading panic.

The situation for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians remains dire. The shadow of war shows no sign of easing in light of these attacks.