Israeli fire kills three in Gaza as fragile truce unravels

GAZA, Palestine (MNTV) — Israeli military operations killed at least three Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, further straining a ceasefire that has repeatedly faltered amid continued Israeli attacks and mounting civilian casualties.

Health officials in Gaza said two people were killed and several others injured when an Israeli airstrike targeted a group of Palestinians in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City. The Israeli military did not immediately issue a response regarding the strike.

In a separate incident in southern Gaza, the Israeli army said its forces shot and killed a Palestinian it described as a militant who posed an imminent threat without giving a detailed cause for the killing. 

The army characterized the episode as a breach of the US-brokered ceasefire that has been in place since last October.

Despite the truce, violence has persisted across the enclave, with Palestinians continuing to bear the brunt of military attacks. 

According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 72,000 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the war began. 

The ministry also reports that at least 460 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, underscoring the fragility of the agreement.

In January, the ceasefire entered a second phase that is supposed to include further Israeli troop withdrawals from the enclave and a transition in Gaza’s administrative control. 

However, continued Israeli strikes and deadly incidents on the ground have cast serious doubt on whether the agreement can meaningfully halt the bloodshed.