Israel defies Trump’s peace plan as it escalates deadly attacks on Gaza

Israeli forces have intensified their military operations in the Gaza Strip since the roadmap for a second stage of the Palestinian enclave’s “ceasefire” was announced last week.United States President Donald Trump described Hamas’s acceptance of the Gaza deal as a monumental step towards security and stability.In Gaza, the reality is very different, with at least 19 Palestinians killed on Saturday in Israeli attacks, bringing the weekend death toll to 26 people, including women and children.Despite Hamas agreeing to a phased disarmament, Israel’s government says it has “serious security concerns” about the plan, and there has been strong resistance from Israeli politicians to the deal.The continued bombardment of Gaza, contributing to Israel’s continued breaches of October’s “ceasefire” agreement, will likely threaten Trump’s peace plan and exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation for Palestinians in the enclave.Sudden deathThere has been a huge uptick in attacks in Gaza since the Trump announcement.This stands in stark contrast to the diplomatic progress heralded by Washington. The Board of Peace and the International Stabilization Force (ISF), which are intended to man...