Israeli fire killed three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Monday, north of the southern city of Rafah, which remains under Israeli control, according to local health authorities, further straining the fragile U.S.-backed ceasefire.
In a statement issued earlier on Monday, the Israeli military said forces identified “terrorists” who crossed the yellow line, which marks the areas the army still occupies. It said they were advancing toward troops in southern Gaza, posing an immediate threat, before it struck them. It did not provide evidence.
Medics said one of those killed was a woman. The identities of the two others weren’t immediately clear.
The incident follows days of Israeli strikes on the enclave, provoking mutual accusations between Hamas and Israel over violations of the tenuous ceasefire that halted two years of war.
Residents said Israeli forces continued to demolish houses in the eastern areas of Rafah, Khan Younis and Gaza City, where forces continue to operate.
WATCH | CBC News reporter takes us behind the yellow line:
The CBC’s Crystal Goomansingh crossed into northern Gaza as part of an embed with the Israel Defence Forces. Here’s what she saw from the outskirts of Gaza City, behind the yellow line — the boundary to which Israeli forces agreed to retreat under the ceasefire plan with Hamas.
The ceasefire, which came into effect on Oct. 10, has calmed most fighting, allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the ruins of their homes in Gaza. Israel has withdrawn troops from positions in cities, and more aid has been allowed to enter.
Hamas turned over all 20 living hostages held in Gaza in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian convicts and wartime detainees held by Israel. Hamas has also agreed to turn over the bodies of hostages, a process which is still incomplete and which it says is difficult, while Israel accuses Hamas of stalling.
But violence has not completely halted. Palestinian health authorities say Israeli forces have killed 239 people in strikes on Gaza since the truce, nearly half of them in a single day last week when Israel retaliated for an attack on its troops.
Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed and it has targeted scores of fighters.
Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry said Monday it received 45 bodies of Palestinians killed by Israel whose bodies were in Israeli custody.
Monday’s handover raised the number of Palestinian bodies Israel has returned to Gaza to 270.
On Sunday, Israel said that the remains of three hostages had been handed over from Gaza. Hamas has so far returned 20 of the 28 bodies of hostages that had been buried in Gaza.
