Israeli Strikes Continue in Gaza as International Calls for Cease-Fire Grow

Israeli military forces reported conducting airstrikes on more than 100 targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day, including an attack on a group allegedly planting an explosive device and a launcher used to fire an anti-tank missile at Israeli troops. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also said a projectile was launched from southern Gaza into Israel, landing in an open area without causing casualties.

In the West Bank, the IDF stated that two Palestinians armed with knives were killed in separate incidents, one by a soldier and another by a security guard. Additionally, the army announced that a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted after triggering alarms in southern Israel and the West Bank.

Diplomatic tensions continued as the E3 group—France, Britain, and Germany—called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and expressed support for ongoing U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediation efforts. Meanwhile, a Washington Post report cited Israeli and American sources claiming that Israel had planned to target sites in Iran that could destabilize the regime, but the operation was halted after U.S. President Donald Trump declared a cease-fire.

A senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Rashq, rejected recent U.S. statements suggesting Hamas was not serious about a cease-fire deal, asserting that the group has shown "seriousness and responsibility" in negotiations. In other developments, the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza reported that 16 drones were observed above their aid flotilla en route to Gaza, with some flying directly overhead.

The recognition of a Palestinian state also remained contentious. U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed a French initiative to recognize Palestinian statehood, drawing criticism from Israeli leaders and prompting some U.S.-based Jewish organizations to refuse meetings with French officials, according to the Anti-Defamation League.