Israel Strikes Hamas Targets Amid Stalled Trump Peace Talks

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a series of targeted airstrikes and widespread bombardments across the Gaza Strip between July 9 and July 14, 2026. Between July 11 and 14, the military eliminated several Hamas commanders, including Yahya Hamdan, a Nukhba cell commander, and Osama Naim Hamdi Shamlakh of the Hamas Naval Array. Other targeted individuals included Mustafa Oweisi, who was killed while smuggling military equipment, and operatives Hassan Mustafa Zahir al-Razina and Mohammad Mahmoud Abd al-Mu'ti Fayyoumi in northern Gaza.

On July 12, the military escalated operations with widespread shelling, drone strikes, and demolitions in Khan Younis, Rafah, and Gaza City. These actions resulted in the deaths of between five and eight Palestinians, including 9-year-old Tala Abu Matar. A drone strike on a blacksmith shop in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City killed four people; the IDF claimed the site was "terrorist infrastructure" and a weapons production facility. The military characterized some strikes as "part of routine activities," though it denied knowledge of casualties in the Al-Bureij refugee camp.

These hostilities occur despite a ceasefire established in October 2025. The Ministry of Health of Gaza reports that at least 1,098 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began. Simultaneously, Hamas leaders met in Cairo to discuss a second-phase peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. However, negotiations remain deadlocked as Hamas leadership, including Khaled Mashal and Mousa Abu Marzook, have rejected the plan's requirements for Hamas disarmament and the ceding of power.