Israel targets Hamas commanders in Gaza despite ceasefire efforts

The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it targeted commanders from Hamas' elite Nukhba force in a strike, which Palestinian sources said killed six, including a child, in Gaza City.

The strike came as Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said that the group remains committed to the ceasefire roadmap reached in late July.

The Israeli military said in a statement that the attack struck a refugee camp in northern Gaza and targeted a Hamas company commander, three platoon commanders and several other militants.

It did not say whether those targeted were killed.

The military said the militants had "advanced attacks against (Israeli) troops operating in the Gaza Strip," claiming that "measures were taken to mitigate harm to uninvolved civilians," prior to the strike.

Earlier in the day, Palestinian medical sources said at least six Palestinians, including a child, were killed and 10 others injured in an Israeli air strike that hit a cafe in the seaport area west of Gaza City.

The attack came amid renewed diplomatic efforts to advance talks on the Gaza ceasefire plan.

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks in Jerusalem on Monday and agreed to establish two working groups to advance the demilitarization of Gaza and address infrastructure and public health needs in the war-devastated enclave.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu rejected a US-backed 15-point roadmap for Gaza, insisting Israel will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed.

Hamas, in turn, tied any progress to arrangements concerning a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, and future administration of the enclave.

On Tuesday, Qassem said in an interview that the group remains committed to the agreed arrangements, noting that the primary obstacle remains Israel's failure to grant mediators clear approval for the roadmap.

Meanwhile, the Hamas-run media office in Gaza urged the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to assume its responsibilities as soon as possible.

In a press statement, the office called on all relevant parties to facilitate the entry of the committee into the Gaza Strip so that it can begin its work amid the deteriorating humanitarian situation. (With input from Xinhua)