Israel unleashes airstrikes on Gaza hours after Trump declared 'historic' Hamas disarmament deal

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 06:27 EDT, 31 July 2026 | Updated: 06:32 EDT, 31 July 2026 Israel has unleashed fresh airstrikes on Gaza just hours after US President Donald Trump announced a 'historic' disarmament deal, local officials have said. The IDF has not commented on the reported airstrikes; however, medics in the Palestinian enclave said several Palestinians had been wounded, Times of Israel reports. Reports of a new assault come as at least four people, including an eight-year-old girl and an 18-month-old baby, were killed in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning. It also comes after Trump announced yesterday that talks in Cairo between mediators and Hamas leaders have led to a phased disarmament agreement in Gaza. 'Today, the Board of ‌Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,' Trump said in a social media post, adding that the disarmament would come in phases.'This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.'The agreement was a critical step towards Gaza being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the so-called Board of Peace, Trump said. 'At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used ​as a base for terror attacks,' he added. Trump announced yesterday that talks in Cairo between mediators and Hamas leaders have led to a phased disarmament agreement in Gaza The agreement was a critical step towards Gaza being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the so-called Board of Peace, Trump saidHowever, a Hamas official described the deal as a draft.A Hamas source told Reuters the 'draft agreement' stipulates that ​heavy weapons would only be stored and kept under the control of a Palestinian administration, and the weapons cannot be transferred to Israel.'We will not take ⁠any action regarding disarmament prior to Israel's withdrawal from the Strip,' Ghazi Hamad, a member of the Hamas negotiating team, told Al Jazeera.A US official on Thursday told reporters that Israel is 'very sceptical that Hamas ​will disarm.''We're very confident they will adhere to it,' the U.S. official added. 'If they don't, obviously President Trump would be very, very disappointed.'There were also questions about how long the process would take. A Board of Peace official ​gave an estimate of 200 to 320 days, but a US official played down that timeline.An Israeli official, who declined to be identified, said before Trump's announcement Israel had rejected a proposal.'Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the complete demilitarisation of the Strip as a precondition for any process,' the official said earlier on Thursday.'The 15-point document in question does not provide a satisfactory response to these demands, and Israel conveyed its objections.'