Israel kills at least ten Palestinians in Gaza, including three children

Israeli forces killed at least ten Palestinians, including three children, in attacks across Gaza early on Wednesday, as Hamas called on mediators and guarantor states to intervene to stop daily ceasefire violations.

A source in Gaza’s ambulance and emergency services told Al Jazeera Arabic that Israeli artillery fire struck the Zaytoun and Tuffah neighbourhoods, east of Gaza City, at dawn, killing seven people, including two baby girls.

In the south, the Nasser Medical Complex said an Israeli strike hit tents housing displaced Palestinians outside areas where Israeli forces have deployed south of Khan Younis, killing three people, including a child.

The latest attacks came after Israeli troops carried out demolitions on Tuesday targeting buildings and facilities in areas under their control east of Al-Tuffah.

Despite a so-called ceasefire that took effect in October last year, Israel has killed more than 526 Palestinians and wounded 1,447 others in repeated violations of the agreement.

The ceasefire halted Israel’s genocide on Gaza that began on 8 October 2023.

Israel’s war on Gaza killed at least 72,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 171,000, while destroying or damaging about 90 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure. Thousands more are believed to be buried under the rubble.

West Bank killing

Separately, Israeli forces shot and killed a 24-year-old Palestinian man during a raid on the occupied West Bank city of Jericho on Tuesday evening, Palestinian officials said, as witnesses reported multiple injuries during the incursion.

Palestine’s Ministry of Health identified the man as Saeed Nael Saeed al-Sheikh, saying he died after Israeli troops opened fire during the operation in the city.

Riyad Eid, the director of Jericho Governmental Hospital, told Wafa news agency that al-Sheikh suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen that caused severe internal damage.

“The young man, Saeed al-Sheikh, died as a result of being shot by the occupation forces in the abdomen, which led to a rupture in the liver,” Eid said.

The Ministry of Health said three other Palestinians suffered injuries of varying severity.

Israeli continues to obstruct Rafah crossings

Despite a deal to reopen the Rafah crossing, forty Palestinians returned to Gaza early on Wednesday after a lengthy delay, with Israeli forces subjecting travellers to searches, questioning and movement restrictions

Gaza's Rafah crossing reopens with heavy Israeli restrictions and monitoring

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On 2 February, the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza reopened on a limited basis for the first time in nearly two years, operating under strict Israeli restrictions.

Under the agreement, 50 Palestinians were expected to return to Gaza on the first day, while 50 patients — each with two companions - were expected to leave for Egypt. Instead, only 12 people entered Gaza and eight left it.

Hamas condemned the mistreatment of returnees at Rafah, calling it “a crime”, and urged mediators and guarantor states to take immediate steps to end the practices.

The group also said Israel continues to impose severe limits on the entry of humanitarian aid, despite a ceasefire deal.

Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesperson, warned that a new cold-weather system was worsening already dire conditions for displaced families living in tents, while Israel allows only minimal quantities of fuel and cooking gas to enter.