Israeli strike kills three policemen in Gaza

An Israeli airstrike killed three policemen east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday, the Hamas-run interior ministry said, calling it a breach of the fragile January 19 ceasefire.

It said the policemen were deployed in the area to secure the entry of aid trucks into Gaza.

"The ministry...condemns this crime and calls upon the mediators and the international community to compel the occupation to stop targeting the police force, which is a civil apparatus," the ministry said in a statement.

The Israeli military said the strike targeted several armed individuals who were moving toward forces deployed near the area and "hits were identified".

It called on all residents of Gaza to adhere to army instructions and refrain from approaching Israeli troops deployed in the area.

Meanhile, the Media Office in Gaza said, on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to approve the entry of mobile homes and heavy earthmoving equipment into the Gaza Strip during Saturday night’s security consultations.

The office said "Israel’s refusal to allow the entry of mobile homes and heavy equipment is an evasion of its obligations which signed under the ceasefire agreement.''