Post by : Meena Ariff

On Friday, Israeli troops opened fire across the ceasefire line in northern Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least five Palestinians, including an infant, according to local health officials. This tragic event occurred in the Tuffah district of eastern Gaza City as tensions escalate and the already fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continues to show signs of strain.

Rami Mhanna, the director at Shifa Hospital where the injured were taken, noted that the fatalities included civilians inadvertently caught in the violence. The Israeli military reported spotting several "suspicious individuals" near command centers situated just west of the designated Yellow Line, established by a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement that separates Israeli-controlled zones from the remainder of Gaza. While the military expressed sorrow over any unintended civilian casualties, they confirmed that an investigation into the incident is currently underway.

In the pursuit of peace, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is set to confer with key officials from various Middle Eastern countries in Florida, emphasizing the importance of advancing this truce into a more challenging phase.

The ceasefire first came into effect in October, following the two-year anniversary of a major attack orchestrated by Hamas that resulted in approximately 1,200 casualties in Israel. Since the onset of the ceasefire, almost all 251 hostages abducted during the attacks have been released through exchanges.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas, over 70,660 Palestinian lives have been lost due to the ongoing conflict, with nearly half of the deceased being women and children. While the ministry does not categorize the deceased between combatants and non-combatants, its casualty figures are generally seen as reliable on the global stage.

Though the ceasefire has largely remained intact over the previous three months, the pace of progress has been hindered by mutual accusations of violations. The next phase of the agreement presents formidable challenges, including the establishment of an international stabilization force, creating a technocratic governing body for Gaza, disarming Hamas, and implementing a further Israeli military withdrawal.

#Israel news #World News #gaza news