Israeli fire kills three people in Gaza as truce deal staggers

An Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, the territory's health officials said, and the Israeli military said it killed a rebel who posed a threat to its forces in the south of the enclave.

Medics said an Israeli airstrike against a group of Palestinians in Gaza City's Tuffah neighbourhood killed two people and wounded several others. The Israeli military didn't immediately comment on the report.

Separately, the Israeli military said forces operating in the southern Gaza Strip killed a fighter who posed an imminent threat to them after he crossed into an area still occupied by Israel inside the enclave.

It described the incident as a violation of the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that began last October.

Gaza has been reduced to rubble in the war that was triggered by an attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 in which 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli tallies.

The Gaza health ministry says more than 72,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed by Israeli fire since then. It also says that at least 460 people have been killed by Israeli fire since a ceasefire agreement came into effect last October.

Israel has said four soldiers have been killed by Hamas fighters in Gaza since the ceasefire began. Both sides have traded blame for violations of the truce.

In January, the Gaza deal moved into a second phase in which Israel is expected to withdraw troops further from Gaza, and Hamas is due to yield control of the territory's administration.