Israeli fire in Gaza killed at least two people on Friday, even as the United States announced progress toward the second phase of a 20-point ceasefire deal with Hamas aimed at ending the conflict.
US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday the formation of the "Board of Peace", which would oversee the management of post-war Gaza as part of the second phase of the ceasefire.
The truce remains fragile amid continued Israeli attacks. A medical source said a 62-year-old Palestinian woman was killed by Israeli gunfire in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Strip, while a Palestinian girl was killed in an Israeli drone strike in the northern town of Beit Lahia later in the day.
As Washington pushes ahead with the second phase of the ceasefire, it and its mediator partners face major challenges, including the disarmament of Hamas, further Israeli withdrawal tied to that process, and the deployment of an international peacekeeping force.
"These Palestinian leaders are unwaveringly committed to a peaceful future," Trump said in a social media post on Thursday. Many experts have criticised the proposal, arguing that Trump chairing a body tasked with overseeing Gaza’s governance resembles a colonial-style structure.