Gaza health officials say three killed in Israeli drone strike

Gaza health officials said an Israeli drone strike killed three civilians and injured several others on Monday, the latest violence to hit the Palestinian territory despite a ceasefire.

Israel and Hamas trade near-daily accusations of truce violations and the Gaza Strip remains gripped by bloodshed as progress stalls on permanently ending their war.

“Three people were killed and several injured when an Israeli drone struck a group of civilians,” Al-Aqsa hospital said in a statement.

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Gaza’s civil defence agency, which acts as a rescue force under Hamas, said the strike hit an area in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.

An Israeli military source confirmed the attack.

“The IDF did carry out a strike targeting jihadi terrorists. The results of the strike are still being assessed,” the source told AFP.

At least 1,041 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on October 10 last year, according to the territory’s health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

The Israeli army has reported six deaths in its ranks during the same period.

Restrictions imposed on media outlets and limited access in Gaza prevent AFP from independently verifying tolls or freely covering the violence.

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