Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have intensified in the days following a United States-brokered agreement intended for the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups. The deal, announced on July 30 by U.S. President Donald Trump, was framed as a significant step into the second phase of a previous "ceasefire" agreement from October 2025. However, the escalation of violence has cast doubt on the accord's immediate impact.

The agreement was negotiated through the Board of Peace, an entity established by Trump to oversee post-war reconstruction and governance in Gaza. The announcement was presented as a "historic agreement," aimed at bringing stability to the region after prolonged conflict. Despite the optimistic framing, key parties remain at an impasse regarding the conditions for implementation, leading to continued hostilities.

Within days of the "historic agreement" being publicized, Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 19 Palestinians in a single day, contributing to a weekend death toll of 26. Nickolay Mladenov, an envoy for the Board of Peace, condemned the increased strikes, noting that they killed civilians and destroyed essential medical supplies without directly naming Israel.

The surge in violence has significant implications for the fragile peace process and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The ongoing Israeli military actions appear to contradict the spirit of the disarmament agreement, highlighting the deep-seated disagreements between the involved parties. Experts suggest that without a resolution to the fundamental deadlock, further civilian casualties are likely.

Hamas negotiator Ghazi Hamad stated that the Palestinian group would not implement the deal unless Israel met its obligations, which include halting attacks and withdrawing troops. Conversely, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office asserted that Israeli forces would not withdraw until Hamas was fully disarmed. This fundamental disagreement forms the core of the unresolved conflict.

The attacks that occurred in the days following the agreement announcement were particularly deadly. In Gaza City's al-Sousi Tower, a strike killed a 33-year-old man, his 29-year-old pregnant wife, and their five-year-old son. The remains of an unborn child were recovered from the rubble. In al-Qarara, near Khan Younis, a strike on an apartment claimed the lives of a couple and their young daughter, with three others wounded.

Near Deir el-Balah, an elderly couple was killed in their home by a separate strike. In the same area, two brothers riding a motorbike also died in a subsequent strike. Later that evening, two people, including a child, were killed when a tent sheltering displaced individuals in Gaza City's Remal neighborhood was hit.

These incidents capped a month that was reportedly the deadliest in Gaza this year and the deadliest for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, in terms of Israeli settler attacks, since 2023. The continued intensity of Israeli operations underscores the challenges in achieving a lasting peace and the severe humanitarian cost borne by the civilian population.