CAIRO: Israeli fire killed at least three Palestinians in two separate raids across the enclave, local health authorities said, as tension rises over continued violence since an October ceasefire.
Medics said one Palestinian was killed in the Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, in an area under Palestinian control, while two others were killed in southern Gaza in the town of Bani Suhaila east of Khan Younis, an area Israel still occupies.
The Israeli military said forces fired at a “terrorist” who crossed into the area under their control in the northern Gaza Strip, posing an immediate threat. A hit was identified, it added.
There was no comment on the incident south of the enclave.
Fighting has largely abated since Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in October, two years into the war, but it has not stopped entirely.
A Hamas official said on Sunday that the group urged mediators to intervene to stop “daily Israeli killings that aim to derail the ceasefire deal.”
More than 440 Palestinians, most of them civilians according to Gaza health officials, have been killed since the truce, as well as three Israeli soldiers.
Hamas said it will dissolve its existing government in Gaza once a Palestinian technocratic leadership committee takes over the territory, as mandated under the US-brokered peace plan.
Hamas and the rival Palestinian Authority, the Palestinians’ internationally recognized representative, have not announced the names of the technocrats, who are not supposed to be politically affiliated, and it remains unclear if they will be cleared by Israel and the US.
The “Board of Peace,” an international body, is supposed to oversee the government and other aspects of the ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, including disarming Hamas and deploying an international security force.
The ceasefire began with a halt in fighting and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for thousands of Palestinians held by Israel.
The deal is still in its first phase as efforts continue to recover the remains of the final hostage left in Gaza.
An Egyptian official said Hamas was sending a delegation to talks with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish officials about moving to the second phase.
Hazem Kassem, a Hamas spokesperson, called for speeding up the establishment of the technocratic committee.
The Egyptian official said Hamas will meet with other Palestinian factions this week to finalize the committee’s formation. The Hamas delegation will be chaired by top negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, the official said.
