Israeli fire kills four in Gaza and West Bank: medics

An Israeli airstrike has killed at least three people in the Gaza Strip, local health officials said, in the latest violence since a US-brokered ceasefire took effect more than five months ago.

Three people were killed and two others were injured when an Israeli plane fired a missile at a group of Palestinians near Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, medics said Monday.

The Israeli army said it shot and killed members of the Hamas armed cell it detected in the northern Gaza Strip to eliminate the threat to its troops operating in the area.

More than 72,000 people have been killed since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.

Israel is also currently waging a war against Iran alongside the United States and a new campaign against Hezbollah in which Israeli forces have invaded Southern Lebanon.

Violence in Gaza has continued despite the ceasefire and amid Israel’s war with Iran.

Health officials in the region say at least 50 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the conflict in Iran began a month ago.

Hamas and Israel have been exchanging blame for ceasefire violations since October.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, health officials said Israeli forces shot and killed a 22-year-old man near the city of Hebron.

They said the soldiers took the body away.

Palestinian security sources identified the dead man as Ramzi Awawada and accused Israeli soldiers of leaving him to bleed to death and preventing rescuers from reaching him.

The Israeli army said its forces shot and killed a Palestinian who ran towards them with a knife in his hand.

Human rights groups and medics say Israeli settlers are taking advantage of movement restrictions imposed during the Iran war to attack Palestinians in the West Bank, and that military roadblocks are preventing ambulances from quickly reaching victims.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said settlers have killed at least five Palestinians in the West Bank since the conflict began on February 28.