At Least 30 Killed in Gaza Despite Ceasefire Announcement Under Trump’s Peace Plan: Report
Gaza City: At least 30 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan, CNN reported, citing a Palestinian health official. Residents described hearing explosions and seeing thick plumes of smoke rising across the enclave.
Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, confirmed that 30 people had been killed since Wednesday evening. Gaza’s Civil Defence said the Israeli airstrikes trapped more than 40 people under the rubble in northern Gaza’s Al-Sabra neighbourhood.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the strike targeted a “Hamas terrorist cell” that posed an “immediate threat,” though CNN noted it could not independently verify this statement.
Footage released by Civil Defence showed emergency teams pulling victims — including children — from destroyed buildings. One clip captured rescuers lifting a dust-covered boy with visible injuries from the debris as he screamed in pain, CNN reported.
The violence came just hours after President Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a peace deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. He said the agreement included provisions for the release of hostages.
Addressing a cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday, Trump called the development a “momentous breakthrough in the Middle East,” declaring, “We ended the war in Gaza, and I think it’s going to be a lasting peace — hopefully, an everlasting peace.”
He added that all remaining hostages were expected to be released “on Monday or Tuesday,” noting that he planned to travel to Egypt for an official signing ceremony of the peace agreement.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Trump’s diplomatic efforts, crediting his “personal and close relationships” with regional partners for making the ceasefire possible. Rubio said the breakthrough followed Trump’s “historic” meeting with Muslim-majority countries — including Indonesia and Pakistan — on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 23, and a subsequent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on September 29.
Rubio added, “A month ago, no one thought this was possible. It was your engagement and leadership that made it happen.”
