More Israeli strikes on Gaza test fragile truce
To test the fragile ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army attacked the Gaza Strip for a fourth day, killing three people, Palestinian health authorities said.
WAFA said on Friday that one Palestinian was killed in Israeli shelling overnight, while another was shot dead by Israeli forces.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
A third Palestinian died from injuries sustained from earlier Israeli shelling, the news agency reported.
The US-brokered ceasefire, which has left unresolved thorny issues such as the disarmament of Hamas and the timeline for Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, has been tested by periodic outbreaks of violence since it took effect three weeks ago.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, Israel retaliated for the death of an Israeli soldier with bombardments that Gaza health officials said killed 104 people.
Israel said on Wednesday it was sticking to the ceasefire despite its retaliation.
Israel announced that the soldier was killed in an attack by armed men in the “yellow line” region where its soldiers were withdrawn within the scope of the ceasefire.
Hamas denied the accusation.
Gaza’s health ministry said the Red Cross had handed over the bodies of 30 Palestinians killed by Israel during the war, a day after Hamas handed over two bodies of hostages.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas agreed to withdraw all living hostages held in Gaza in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and prisoners of war, while agreeing to withdraw Israeli troops, halt its attacks, and increase aid.
Hamas also agreed to hand over the remains of 28 dead hostages in exchange for 360 Palestinian militants killed in the war.
After the evacuation on Thursday, 17 bodies were delivered.
Hamas said it would take time to find and retrieve the bodies of all remaining hostages.
Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by delaying the delivery of bodies.
Two years of conflict in Gaza has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians and left the area in ruins, according to Gaza health officials.
Israel launched the war after Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and bringing 251 hostages back to Gaza.
