Israel Resumes Preemptive Gaza Strikes as Hamas Disarmament Deal Stalls

Key Facts

Published: August 13, 2026 Location: Jerusalem Source: The Jerusalem Post; Worthy News

• Israel struck a Hamas cell in Khan Yunis that the IDF says was preparing an attack against Israeli troops.
• The operation was Israel's second preemptive Gaza strike in two days after weeks of restraint under the late-July agreement.
• Hamas has still not begun the disarmament process that was supposed to be a central component of the U.S.-backed Gaza deal.

Israeli military says it will strike Hamas operatives preparing attacks despite restraints imposed under the U.S.-brokered Gaza arrangement

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a second preemptive airstrike in Gaza in two days Thursday, targeting a Hamas terror cell in Khan Yunis that Israeli military officials said was preparing an attack against Israeli forces.

The strike marks a significant shift after Israel sharply curtailed offensive operations in Gaza following the U.S.-Hamas agreement reached in late July. Under the arrangement, Hamas was expected to begin surrendering its weapons while Israel exercised military restraint.

According to The Jerusalem Post, IDF sources said the Khan Yunis cell was not considered senior but was actively planning and preparing an operation against Israeli troops. Israeli forces have continued targeting terrorists who approach the Yellow Line separating Israeli-controlled territory from Hamas-held areas, but the latest strikes show Israel is increasingly willing to act before a threat becomes imminent.

On Wednesday, Israel conducted its first preemptive strike deep inside Gaza since the July agreement, killing a Hamas commander in northern Gaza who the IDF said was planning future terrorist attacks. The United States did not publicly condemn the operation.

The renewed strikes come as the central provision of the Gaza agreement — Hamas disarmament — remains stalled. Hamas has yet to begin surrendering its weapons, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will not withdraw further until the terrorist organization is genuinely and completely disarmed.

The development underscores the increasingly fragile balance surrounding the U.S.-backed Gaza framework: Israel is maintaining restraint against Hamas’ broader leadership while signaling that terrorists preparing new attacks will remain legitimate targets.

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