Nine killed in Israeli Gaza strikes
People mourns the death of one of the victims of Israeli bombardment in Beit Lahia, Gaza Strip. Photo: AFP
Gaza's civil defence agency said nine people, including journalists, were killed in Israeli strikes on Saturday, attacks which could further endanger the fragile truce in the Palestinian territory.
Following the reported strikes, the deadliest since the ceasefire took hold on January 19, Hamas accused Israel of a "blatant violation" of the truce which largely halted more than 15 months of fighting.
The first phase of the truce ended on March 1 without agreement on the next steps, but both Israel and Hamas have refrained from returning to all-out war.
A senior Hamas official said on Tuesday fresh talks had begun in Doha, with Israel also sending negotiators.
On Saturday, Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP that "nine martyrs have been transferred (to hospital), including several journalists and a number of workers from the Al-Khair Charitable Organisation".
He said the killings were "as a result of the occupation (Israel) targeting a vehicle with a drone in the town of Beit Lahia, coinciding with artillery shelling on the same area".
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said "nine martyrs and several injured, including critical cases" were taken to the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza.
In a statement, the Israeli military said it hit "two terrorists... operating a drone that posed a threat to IDF troops in the area of Beit Lahia".
"Later, a number of additional terrorists collected the drone operating equipment and entered a vehicle. The IDF struck the terrorists," it added.
Israel has carried out near-daily air strikes in Gaza since early March, often targeting what the military said were militants planting explosive devices.
"The occupation has committed a horrific massacre in the northern Gaza Strip by targeting a group of journalists and humanitarian workers, in a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement," Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement.
A separate Hamas statement said the attack was "a dangerous escalation", adding that it "reaffirms (Israel's) intent to backtrack on the ceasefire agreement and intentionally obstruct any opportunity to complete the agreement and carry out the prisoner swap".
During the truce's initial six-week phase, militants released 33 hostages, including eight who were deceased, in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.
Hamas said Saturday that "the ball is in Israel's court" after offering to release an Israeli-US hostage and return the bodies of four others as part of the truce talks.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
UK to sanction far-right Israeli ministers for stoking violence in Palestine
Itamar Ben-Gvir, left, and Bezalel Smotrich, right, pictured in October 2022 at a rally in the Israeli city of Sderot. PHOTO: GUARDIAN Listen to article The United Kingdom, alongside four key allies, has imposed sanctions on two senior Israeli ministers, citing their 'repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian communities' amid escalating conflict in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The sanctions, which include asset freezes and travel bans, target Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The measures were announced in a joint statement by the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the action was taken in response to the ministers' 'extremist rhetoric and incitement,' which have contributed to serious human rights abuses. 'These actions are not acceptable,' the statement read. 'This is why we have taken action now to hold those responsible to account.' Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are known for their far-right positions, support for expanding Israeli settlements deemed illegal under international law, and public calls for the annexation of Palestinian land. Smotrich has previously made statements suggesting support for the expulsion of Palestinians and the destruction of Gaza, while Ben-Gvir, a settler himself, has called for the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in the coastal enclave. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the sanctions 'outrageous' and announced a special cabinet meeting to formulate a response. Smotrich, speaking at the inauguration of a new settlement in Hebron, dismissed the UK's move as 'contemptible.' 'Britain already tried once to prevent us from settling our homeland. We will not allow it again,' he said, referring to British rule over Palestine prior to Israel's founding in 1948. The sanctions come amid growing frustration from Western governments over Israel's military campaign in Gaza and its restrictions on humanitarian aid. In recent weeks, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated that coordinated action with international partners is more effective than unilateral moves. Last month, the UK suspended trade negotiations with Israel and summoned its ambassador over 'egregious policies' in the occupied territories. The UK, along with France and Canada, has warned Israel of 'concrete actions' if it continues its military offensive and maintains aid blockades. All three nations have reiterated their support for a two-state solution. Foreign Secretary Lammy has sharply criticised recent Israeli operations, calling them 'a dark new phase in this conflict.' He also condemned Smotrich's earlier comments that hinted at ethnic cleansing and the forced relocation of Palestinians. The war in Gaza, which began in October 2023, has claimed nearly 55,000 Palestinian lives—most of them women and children—according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. Israel has enforced a strict blockade on the territory, allowing only limited aid through a controversial, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which critics say politicises relief efforts and undermines humanitarian principles. Since the aid mechanism began operating on 27 May, at least 130 Palestinians have reportedly been killed by Israeli gunfire while attempting to access food, with over 1,000 injured. In parallel, Israeli forces have intensified raids across the occupied West Bank. On Tuesday, troops launched a large-scale operation in the city of Nablus, injuring at least 60 people with live ammunition and tear gas. Dozens were arrested, and the city's Old City district was placed under lockdown. Reporting from Nablus, Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh described a dire situation: 'Residents cannot leave their homes. Paramedics are struggling to reach the injured, and essential services are shut down.' Schools, bakeries, and public offices have closed amid the military escalation, as the Israeli army continues operations in towns and refugee camps across the West Bank. Settler violence, often carried out under military protection, has also increased, targeting Palestinian civilians and property.
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Israel waging 'campaign to obliterate Palestinian life in Gaza': UN expert
Listen to article UN experts said in a report on Tuesday that Israel committed the crime against humanity of "extermination" by killing civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites in Gaza, part of a "concerted campaign to obliterate Palestinian life." The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel was due to present the report to Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council on June 17. "We are seeing more and more indications that Israel is carrying out a concerted campaign to obliterate Palestinian life in Gaza," former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who chairs the commission, said in a statement. "Israel's targeting of the educational, cultural and religious life of the Palestinian people will harm the present generations and generations to come, hindering their right to self-determination," she added. The commission examined attacks on educational facilities and religious and cultural sites to assess if international law was breached. Israel disengaged from the Human Rights Council in February, alleging it was biased. When the commission's last report in March found Israel carried out "genocidal acts" against Palestinians by systematically destroying women's healthcare facilities during the conflict in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the findings were biased and antisemitic. In its latest report, the commission said Israel had destroyed more than 90% of the school and university buildings and more than half of all religious and cultural sites in Gaza. "Israeli forces committed war crimes, including directing attacks against civilians and wilful killing, in their attacks on educational facilities ... In killing civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites, Israeli security forces committed the crime against humanity of extermination," it said. The war was triggered when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in Israel in a surprise attack in October 2023, and took 251 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Harm done to the Palestinian education system was not confined to Gaza, the report found, citing increased Israeli military operations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as well as harassment of students and settler attacks there. "Israeli authorities have also targeted Israeli and Palestinian educational personnel and students inside Israel who expressed concern or solidarity with the civilian population in Gaza, resulting in their harassment, dismissal or suspension and in some cases humiliating arrests and detention," it said. "Israeli authorities have particularly targeted female educators and students, intending to deter women and girls from activism in public places," the commission added
Business Recorder
3 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Netanyahu says significant progress made in talks to release hostages
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that there had been 'significant progress' in efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, but that it was 'too soon' to raise hopes that a deal would be reached. Despite efforts by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to restore a ceasefire in Gaza, neither Israel nor Hamas has shown willingness to back down on core demands, with each side blaming the other for the failure to reach a deal. Netanyahu, who has come under pressure from within his right-wing coalition to continue the war and block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, said in a video statement shared by his office that there had been progress, without providing details. A source familiar with the negotiations said that Washington had been giving Hamas more assurances, in the form of steps that would lead to an end to the war, but said it was U.S. officials who were optimistic, not Israeli ones. The source said there was pressure from Washington to have a deal done as soon as possible. The White House National Security Council and representatives for U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who is leading U.S. efforts in the ceasefire talks, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Neither did Hamas representatives. Israeli military retrieves body of Thai hostage from Gaza, defence minister says Israel's leadership has said that it would wage war until the remaining 55 hostages held in Gaza are freed and when Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war, has been dismantled. Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, has said it would no longer govern after the war if a Palestinian, non-partisan technocratic committee took over, but it has refused to disarm. The U.S. has proposed a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Israel said it would abide by the terms but Hamas has sought amendments. The Hamas have said that they would release all hostages in exchange for a permanent end to the war. Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
