Two Palestinians were killed, and seven others, including a child, were injured on Sunday by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip, despite the ceasefire agreement in the enclave, medical sources reported.
A young Palestinian man was killed, and two others were injured west of the Nusairat refugee camp in central Gaza, a medical source stated.
Israeli forces further opened fire on a group of displaced civilians waiting for permission to return to northern Gaza, injuring five people, including a child, another medical source said.
According to witnesses, hundreds of displaced civilians spent the night outdoors in the cold, waiting for Israeli permission to return to their areas in northern Gaza. Witnesses reported that Israeli military vehicles stationed along the Netzarim corridor, which separates the northern and southern Gaza Strip, opened fire on a group of displaced people as they waited for the army to withdraw and allow them to return to the northern enclave under the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Israeli authorities refused to permit the return of Palestinian residents to northern Gaza until Israeli captive Arbel Yehud is released. Hamas confirmed that the hostage will be freed in the next exchange.
The first six-week phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement went into effect on January 19, halting Israel`s genocidal war that killed over 47 000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 111 000 since October 7, 2023.
So far, seven Israeli captives, including four female soldiers, have been released in exchange for 290 Palestinian prisoners since the agreement took effect. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over the war in the enclave.
Written by D.I.
