Gaza authorities on Saturday said Israel carried out dozens of air strikes and artillery shelling on Gaza City despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s call to end bombardment after Hamas partially accepted a cease-fire deal. Israeli fire killed six people across Gaza Strip, local authorities said.
One strike killed four people in a house in Gaza City while another killed two others in Khan Younis in the south, medical workers and local authorities said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said early on Saturday that Israel was preparing for an "immediate implementation" of the first stage of Trump's Gaza plan for the release of Israeli hostages following Hamas' response.
Shortly after, Israeli media reported that the country's political echelon had instructed the military to reduce offensive activity in Gaza.
The Israeli military chief of staff instructed forces in a statement to advance readiness for the implementation of the first phase of Trump's plan, without mentioning whether there would be reduction of military activity in Gaza.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza, responded to Trump's 20-point plan after the U.S. president gave the group until Sunday to accept or face grave consequences.
