3 killed in Israeli fire in Gaza amid ceasefire tensions, medics say

Israeli fire killed at least three Palestinians in two separate incidents in Gaza, local health authorities said, highlighting renewed tensions despite a ceasefire that has been in place since October.

Medics said one Palestinian was killed in the Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City, an area under Palestinian control, while two others were shot dead in Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis, where Israeli forces remain deployed.

The Israeli military said forces fired at a “terrorist” who crossed into the area under their control in the northern Gaza Strip, posing an immediate threat.

Ceasefire violations alleged

Although large-scale fighting has eased since Israel and Hamas agreed to a truce after two years of war, violence has not fully stopped. Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of breaching the ceasefire.

Hamas seeks mediator intervention

A Hamas official told Reuters on Sunday that the group had urged mediators to intervene to stop what it described as “daily Israeli killings aimed at derailing the ceasefire deal”.

Rising death toll since truce

Gaza health officials say more than 440 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, along with three Israeli soldiers.

UN move on stabilisation force

In mid-November, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution authorising the establishment of a temporary International Stabilisation Force in Gaza under a “Board of Peace” framework following the start of the truce.

Stalled peace process

The ceasefire has not moved beyond its first phase, with little progress on next steps. Nearly all of Gaza’s more than 2 million residents continue to live in makeshift shelters or damaged buildings in a narrow area where Israeli troops have withdrawn and Hamas has reasserted control.