Eight Killed in Gaza Strikes as Ceasefire Tensions Mount

Israeli military aircraft killed at least eight Palestinians in two separate attacks on the Gaza Strip on Sunday. The strikes occurred in Gaza City and western Khan Younis, according to medics and the Hamas-run interior ministry.

Health officials reported that three civilians died in the bombing in Gaza City. The interior ministry stated that five police officers were killed in the strike in western Khan Younis. The Israeli military confirmed it targeted several militants in the Khan Younis attack but did not immediately comment on the incident in Gaza City.

Israel has intensified its offensive in recent weeks, citing renewed Hamas activity that it says violates a ceasefire agreement signed one year ago. The Israeli government asserts that the militant group has been rearming and launching attacks. Hamas denies these claims, arguing that Israel is working to undermine the peace deal.

Negotiators have yet to reach an agreement on the terms for Hamas disarmament or the withdrawal of Israeli troops. As a result, little progress has been made on the reconstruction mandated by the US-brokered ceasefire. Israeli forces currently control approximately two-thirds of the territory, where they have ordered residents to vacate their homes.

Nearly all of the more than 2 million residents remain in the remaining third of the enclave. They live among war ruins, mostly in makeshift tents and damaged buildings, under the effective control of Hamas. Health officials say at least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began. Israel reports that four of its soldiers have been killed in the same period.

Palestinian authorities state that more than 74,000 people have died in the broader assault on Gaza. The military campaign began after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.