Israel’s expanded buffer zone in Gaza ‘poses deadly threat to Palestinians’
A US-based crisis monitor has said that despite the ceasefire in Gaza, the situation along the buffer zone “remains tense”, with Israeli forces maintaining a strong presence and continuing to target individuals in the area.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) said that Israeli forces stationed inside the zone, which now covers 10 percent of Gaza’s territory, have killed at least 12 Palestinians approaching the area since the start of the ceasefire.
“Even if the ceasefire progresses, an outcome far from certain, an [Israeli military] withdrawal from the buffer zone remains doubtful, as Israel considers it crucial for the defense of its civilian population near the border,” said Ameneh Mehvar, ACLED’s senior Middle East analyst.
“Not only does the buffer zone shrink the Palestinian territory, but the [Israeli military’s] targeting of individuals around these areas highlights the ongoing and future risks to civilians amid Israel’s continued security control over Gaza,” she added.
Two Palestinian police officers killed in Israeli attack in Rafah
Gaza’s Interior Ministry says two police officers have been killed and a third seriously injured in an Israeli attack while securing aid supplies in Rafah in southern Gaza.
Gaza’s Interior Ministry condemns Israeli attack on police force
Gaza’s Ministry of Interior and National Security says in a statement the Israeli attack on police officers took place in the ash-Shawka area east of Rafah. It said the policemen were deployed in the area to secure the entry of aid trucks into Gaza. A third policeman was injured, it added.
It said it “condemns this crime and calls on the mediators and the international community to pressure the occupation to stop targeting the police force as a civilian body that provides services to maintain the security of citizens and organize their daily affairs”.
Israeli military says it strikes ‘several armed individuals’ in southern Gaza
The Israeli military says the air force has hit “several armed individuals” in southern Gaza after they moved towards Israeli soldiers. “Hits were identified,” it said in a statement.
Gaza’s Ministry of Interior and National Security had said earlier that an Israeli attack in southern Gaza killed two police officers and seriously injured another.
Deadly Israeli attack near Rafah is another violation of ceasefire
An Israeli strike targeted law enforcement and security personnel securing the delivery of aid trucks coming from Karem Abu Salem [Kerem Shalom] crossing to the main road leading to Rafah city and distribution points designated to UNRWA, UNICEF and other international organisations.
This is not the first time we’ve seen this kind of attack. It is another violation of the terms of the ceasefire and a failure of the Israeli side to secure a safe route for the Gaza Strip. Aid workers have been killed in similar attacks, as well as security guards hired by the Interior Ministry to secure the delivery of aid.
The Israeli military used the same technique as previous attacks, deploying drones, which is another violation of the terms of the ceasefire.
Hamas says Israel’s Rafah attack breaches truce
The group says the “treacherous” drone attack in Rafah city targeting police officers “is a serious violation of the ceasefire” between Hamas and Israel.
In a statement, Hamas accused Israel of ignoring the terms of the truce also by preventing the entry of aid trucks and heavy machinery into the Strip.
Hamas said Israel’s hesitation in starting negotiations to implement the second phase of the ceasefire confirms its lack of seriousness in adhering to the agreement.
The group called on mediators to oblige Israel to stop its violations of the agreement and begin negotiations for the second phase.
Hamas says death toll in Israel’s Rafah attack rises
We are receiving updates on Israel’s reported drone attack in southern Gaza’s Rafah city. Hamas says the attack in the east of the city targeting police personnel has killed three people.
The group stressed that the officers were tasked with securing the entry of aid into Gaza, calling it “a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement” between Hamas and Israel.
