Israeli shelling, gunfire kills three Palestinians in Gaza, violating truce
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — An Israeli soldier is seen in the Gaza Strip in this picture released Dec. 29, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces photo via Reuters)
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Pesha Magid
CAIRO - The Israeli military attacked the Gaza Strip for a fourth day on Friday, killing three people, Palestinian health authorities said, in another test of a fragile ceasefire agreement.
Residents reported Israeli shelling and gunfire in northern Gaza on Friday, as Israel continued to bombard areas of the enclave despite saying that it remains committed to a ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Israeli military did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.
Another Palestinian died of wounds sustained from previous Israeli shelling, the Palestinian WAFA news agency reported.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which left thorny issues like the disarmament of Hamas and a timeline for Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip unresolved, has been tested by periodic outbreaks of violence since it came into place three weeks ago.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, Israel retaliated for the death of an Israeli soldier with bombardments that Gaza health authorities said killed 104 people.
MORE BODIES HANDED OVER
Gaza's health ministry said the Red Cross had delivered to it 30 bodies of Palestinians killed by Israel during the war, a day after Hamas handed over two bodies of hostages.
Under the ceasefire accord, Hamas released all living hostages held in Gaza in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and wartime detainees, while Israel agreed to pull back its troops, halt its offensive and increase aid.
Hamas also agreed to hand over the remains of all 28 dead hostages in exchange for 360 Palestinian militants killed in the war. After Thursday's release, it had handed over 17 bodies, while 225 Palestinian bodies have so far been returned to Gaza.
Hamas has said that it will take time to locate and retrieve the bodies of all the remaining hostages. Israel has accused Hamas of violating the truce by stalling in the handover.
Two years of conflict in Gaza have killed over 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health authorities and left the enclave in ruins. Israel launched the war after Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and bringing 251 hostages back to Gaza.
(Writing by Pesha Magid, Reporting by Nidal Al Mughrabi Editing by Ros Russell // REUTERS)
