Israel defies Trump's peace plan as it escalates deadly attacks on Gaza

Israel has intensified its military operations in the Gaza Strip since the roadmap for a second stage of the Palestinian enclave's "ceasefire" was announced last week. United States President Donald Trump described Hamas's acceptance of the Gaza deal as a monumental step towards security and stability. In Gaza, at least 19 Palestinians were killed on Saturday in Israeli attacks, bringing the weekend death toll to 26 people, including women and children.

Despite Hamas agreeing to a phased disarmament, Israel's government says it has "serious security concerns" about the plan, and there has been strong resistance from Israeli politicians to the deal. The continued bombardment of Gaza contributes to Israel's continued breaches of October's "ceasefire" agreement. The Board of Peace and the International Stabilization Force (ISF) had announced an agreement to implement the next phase of the "ceasefire" based on a detailed 15-point roadmap. Eyad al-Qarra, a Palestinian political analyst, told Al Jazeera that this step would be an uncalculated risk for Hamas and other Palestinian groups.