An Israeli airstrike in Gaza near the Netzarim Corridor killed four Palestinians, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing Gaza’s Civil Defense agency.
The report said relatives and medical staff at the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital said the four men who were killed were civilians. “Did we end the war or what happened? We don’t know,” said Arafat Al-Hana, the father of one of the victims.
For its part, the Israeli military claimed that its air force targeted “terrorists who were engaged in a suspicious activity on the ground in central Gaza and posed a threat to the force” but offered no evidence.
The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that a Palestinian woman was killed by Israeli drone fire near the southern city of Rafah. Palestinian officials told The Associated Press that a total of eight people were killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza over the previous 24-hour period.
Since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal went into effect on January 19, Israeli forces have killed more than 100 Palestinians in Gaza. Israel also violated the ceasefire by refusing to engage in negotiations on the second phase and imposed a total blockade on aid and all other goods entering Gaza at the end of the first phase.
On Sunday, Israel cut electricity to Gaza, ramping up the collective punishment of the civilian population, a war crime backed by the US. Israel is trying to get Hamas to agree to release hostages without a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza or commitment to a permanent ceasefire.
Hamas has maintained its commitment to the initial deal reached in January and has said the only way it will free hostages is if the second phase is implemented. Negotiations are expected to continue in Qatar on Tuesday that will involve Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East envoy.
