Israel kills seven Palestinians in violation of Gaza ceasefire

Israeli forces killed at least seven Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, in violation of the ceasefire agreement signed last week.

According to local health officials, six people were killed in Gaza City and one in Khan Younis.

In Gaza City’s eastern Shujaiya neighbourhood, at least five people were killed in an aerial attack while inspecting their homes, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence.

Separately, a drone strike in the town of al-Fukhari, east of Khan Younis, killed one person.

These attacks constitute a breach of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Friday, which explicitly stated that “all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment and targeting operations, will be suspended”.

The Israeli military confirmed carrying out the attacks in Shujaiya, claiming it targeted individuals who had crossed agreed-upon army deployment lines after issuing warning shots.

It did not comment on the drone strike in Khan Younis.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem condemned the attacks, calling them a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

“The Israeli army’s killing of several Gaza residents this morning through shelling and gunfire is a clear breach of the ceasefire,” Qassem said in a statement.

He called on international actors to hold Israel accountable and to ensure it adheres to its commitments made to mediators regarding the cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip.

Claims of delay in handover of Israeli bodies

Israeli officials have expressed frustration over Hamas handing over only four bodies of deceased captives in Gaza on Monday, calling it insufficient compared to what had been previously agreed.

Defence Minister Israel Katz described the move as “a failure to meet commitments” and warned that any delay would be considered a “gross violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly”.

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The return of the bodies is part of a broader agreement brokered in Egypt last week, which aims to end the war on Gaza, ease Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid and facilitate an Israeli withdrawal from urban areas in the strip.

So far, Hamas has returned four bodies, while search operations continue to locate the remains of 24 other Israelis. All living captives have been released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees.

Under the terms of the truce, Hamas is required to release the remains of deceased hostages in its possession - or in the possession of other Palestinian factions - within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking effect, or as soon as it's able to locate them. 

An international committee is currently assisting in efforts to locate and retrieve the remaining bodies. Israel, in turn, is expected to release the remains of dozens of deceased Palestinians.