Three people were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza on Friday, Palestinian authorities said, as international efforts continue to support a peace plan and maintain the ceasefire.
The Palestinian Civil Defence agency said the bodies of three people were recovered after Israeli strikes hit Al-Qarara, east of Khan Yunis. Nasser Hospital later identified the victims as members of the same family.
According to the hospital, the victims included two people aged 42 and another aged 28. An Israeli military spokesperson told AFP that the military was examining reports about the latest Israeli strikes in Gaza.
The latest deaths followed another deadly day in the territory. Palestinian Civil Defence said three people were also killed by Israeli strikes on Thursday. Israel’s military said it had targeted two Hamas members who were allegedly planning attacks against Israelis.
Israel has continued military operations in Gaza despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced in October. Israeli authorities have maintained that military action is necessary to prevent threats from Hamas, which carried out the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Nickolay Mladenov, the Gaza high representative under the US-established Board of Peace, told the UN Security Council that continued deadly attacks were making it difficult for Palestinians to feel the impact of the ceasefire. He said the truce remained in place but warned that incidents outside the agreed mechanism were harming the peace process.
Hamas has also faced criticism over its commitments under the ceasefire arrangement, including disarmament. Meanwhile, Israel has warned against kite-flying from Gaza after several kites crossed into Israel, although authorities said the latest kites did not carry explosives. The continued Israeli strikes in Gaza have added further pressure to efforts aimed at preserving the ceasefire.
