More deadly incidents reported in Gaza Strip

At least nine Palestinians have been killed and others injured in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Sunday, noting there were deadly attacks in the north and south of the coastal strip.

The Israeli military said the attacks were on targets of the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. The military stated that it was responding to a violation by Hamas of the ceasefire that has been in place for more than four months.

The military reported that “several armed terrorists” had been identified on the Israeli side of the “yellow line” in the north of the sealed-off coastal area. The line marks the withdrawal position of the Israeli army as part of the ceasefire with Hamas.

The men had apparently emerged from an underground tunnel and were hiding under debris in close proximity to Israeli troops, it was said. At least two of them were killed, and possibly more, the military added.

The military’s information could not initially be independently verified.

The Israeli troops searched the area to track down and “eliminate” the remaining “terrorists,” the military further stated. Their incursion beyond the yellow line constituted a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.”

Since the beginning of the ceasefire on October 10, there have been repeated deadly incidents in Gaza.

According to various reports, Israel controls slightly more than half of the Gaza Strip, where around 2 million Palestinians live.

The coastal area is approximately 41 kilometres long and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide.