Israeli airstrikes killed three Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, according to health officials, as the Palestinian militant group Hamas stressed that halting such attacks is essential for progress in discussions aimed at securing a US-brokered ceasefire.
Details of the Strikes
Medics reported that one Palestinian was killed in an airstrike near the Mughraqa area in the central Gaza Strip. The Israeli military stated it had targeted a person behaving suspiciously near its forces operating in an Israeli-controlled zone to neutralize the threat.
In a separate incident, an Israeli airstrike killed two brothers, Saqer and Moamen Khalil Abu Karim, in the courtyard of a house in the Maghazi refugee camp, medics confirmed. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on this incident.
Ceasefire Under Strain
The ceasefire, brokered by former US President Donald Trump, has failed to stop Israeli attacks in Gaza. Israel now controls more than half of the enclave following the conflict that began with Hamas attacks on southern Israel in October 2023.
Indirect talks on implementing the second phase of the deal, which includes Hamas's disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, remain deadlocked. Sources close to the negotiations indicated that further talks were expected this week in Egypt, but Hamas denied sending delegates to Cairo.
A Hamas official told Reuters on Wednesday that the group has been in daily contact with mediators and emphasized the need for an end to Israeli attacks in Gaza. "Israel has so far rejected ending its attacks, it continues to restrict aid and goods coming into Gaza and expand its occupation, in stark violation of the ceasefire agreement," the official said.
Israel maintains that its strikes are aimed at thwarting imminent attacks and asserts that it allows aid and goods to flow into Gaza.
Casualty Figures
According to Gaza health officials, some 930 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce began, though these figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel's military has reported that four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants during the same period.
