At least two Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Wednesday despite the ceasefire, Al Jazeera has reported.
An Al Jazeera correspondent said a child was killed by an Israeli sniper, which came a few hours after a Palestinian was shot and killed by Israeli forces east of the city.
Another Palestinian died due to wounds sustained on the first day of the ceasefire in Rafah’s al-Shaboura refugee camp. The Times of Israel put the death toll in Gaza higher, saying Palestinian media reported four were killed by Israeli forces on Wednesday.
The Israeli military acknowledged that it opened fire on Palestinians in several areas of Gaza. Last week, Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 80 Palestinians were killed since the ceasefire went into effect on January 19, including 49 in Rafah.
In each incident, it acknowledges, the Israeli military claims its troops opened fire on an “imminent threat,” but in one incident, IDF troops shot and killed an unarmed Israeli contractor who was dressed in civilian clothes simply because he was walking toward Israeli troops, demonstrating the free rein Israeli soldiers have to fire on civilians.
The latest violence in Gaza comes as the ceasefire has become even more fragile following President Trump’s calls for a US “takeover” of the Gaza Strip, an idea roundly rejected by Palestinians and Arab states. Trump’s comments cast doubt on the full implementation of the ceasefire deal.
Basem Naim, a Hamas official, told Middle East Eye: “We demand the mediators, especially the United States, oblige the [Israeli] occupation to implement the ceasefire agreement in its three stages without procrastination or manipulation.”
