More than a dozen Palestinians died in a series of Israeli bombings on the Gaza Strip between the night of Saturday, February 14 and the early hours of Sunday, February 15, including a refugee camp, Gazan health authorities said. Israel justified the offensive due to an alleged incursion of "armed" Hamas militants in the north of the Strip, while the Islamist movement accused Tel Aviv of committing a new "massacre" before an international meeting scheduled in Washington to address the situation in the enclave.

First modification: 02/15/2026 - 16:38 Last modification: 02/16/2026 - 00:22

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New Israeli bombings in the Gaza Strip left 11 dead between Saturday, February 14 and Sunday, February 15, Gazan health sources reported.

Four of the fatalities were reported from an attack that hit Palestinian refugee tents in Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip.

Additionally, five people died in Khan Younis, described as young men by local media.

Mahmoud Basal, Civil Defense spokesman in Gaza, indicated that Israeli planes carried out several air raids at dawn on Sunday against the city and its surroundings. One of them hit a group of people gathered near the so-called "Turkish slaughterhouse" on the western edge of the city.

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According to unspecified Palestinian sources by local media such as Al Jazeera, the airstrikes also targeted Sami al-Dahdouh, who is believed to be a commander of the Hamas-allied Islamic Jihad group.

In their search, the Israeli army struck the Tel Al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City, where one person died. The media outlet claimed that the victim is Sami al-Dahdouh, citing those anonymous Palestinian sources.

The circumstances and identity of the 11th victim registered by Palestinian officials and replicated by the Reuters agency and local media are not clear.

Mutual accusations

The Israeli Army justified its bombings on Gaza in a statement as a response to what it considers a violation of the ceasefire agreement by Hamas in the Beit Hanoun area, in the far north of the Strip.

According to the Israeli military, a group of Hamas fighters "apparently emerged from underground infrastructure in the area" and crossed the yellow line, agreed upon under the ceasefire to demarcate areas controlled by Israel and Hamas.

The Israeli army broadcasts a video in which four men appear walking quickly through a semi-desert plain, whom they presented as "armed terrorists", which in the opinion of the army constitutes "another violation of the ceasefire." The men took refuge "under a ruined building, near the army," the military note reads.

After being identified, the men were attacked from the air and "at least two of them died," according to the army.

"More terrorists are believed to have been killed in the attack, and forces continue to search the area to locate and kill the remaining terrorists," the statement said.

"Crossing the Yellow Line in the vicinity of Israeli army troops, while armed, is an explicit violation of the ceasefire and demonstrates how Hamas systematically violates the agreement with the intention of harming the troops," an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

The Israeli soldier described Sunday's attacks as "precise" and in accordance with international law.

Read alsoBurials of unidentified Palestinians begin in Gaza

A diametrically opposite version was offered by Hazem Qassem, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, who spoke of a "serious violation of the ceasefire agreement," accusing Israel of committing a new "massacre" against displaced Palestinians.

Gaza's health ministry estimates that at least 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the Gaza deal came into force in October 2025. Israel says four soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza during the same period.

'Peace Board' pledges more than $5 billion for Gaza: Trump

Qassem urged attendees at the first meeting of the International Peace Board for Gaza, led by Donald Trump and scheduled for February 19 in Washington, to pressure Israel to comply with the ceasefire agreed in October 2025.

"This criminal escalation occurs before the Peace Board meeting, in a clear attempt to impose a bloody reality on the ground and send a message that all efforts and organizations interested in establishing calm in Gaza are useless," condemned the spokesman for the Islamist group.

The "Peace Board" was introduced by Trump in Davos, initially designed to consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza, but with a broader planned role in global conflicts. Delegations from more than 20 countries, including heads of state, are expected to attend.

While Middle Eastern regional players such as Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Israel, and emerging countries such as Indonesia have joined the board, major powers and the United States' traditional Western allies have taken a more cautious stance.

This Sunday, President Donald J. Trump on his social network Truth Social stated that the so-called “Peace Board” presented in October 2025 a plan for the permanent end of the conflict in Gaza, whose vision was unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council.

He noted that, after that, humanitarian aid was accelerated and the release of all the hostages, living and deceased, was achieved.

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He also announced that on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at the Donald J. Trump Peace Institute, commitments exceeding $5 billion for the reconstruction of Gaza and the deployment of thousands of troops in an international stabilization force and local police will be reported, while demanding that Hamas comply with "full and immediate demilitarization."

With information from Reuters, EFE and local media

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