4 killed, 5 injured in Israeli fire east of Gaza City: civil defense

GAZA -- Four Palestinians were killed and five others injured by Israeli fire in two separate incidents east of Gaza City on Monday, the Gaza Civil Defense Service said.

Mahmoud Basal, a Civil Defense spokesperson, told Xinhua that Israeli soldiers opened fire in the Al-Shaaf neighborhood in the morning, killing two people. Two others were later killed in the afternoon by a drone strike while inspecting their homes in the same area. The Israeli army has not commented on the incidents.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said Israel continues "its policy of violating the ceasefire agreement," adding that the group remains committed to all terms of the deal. He said Hamas is in contact with mediators over Israel's "continued violations" and urged pressure to ensure full implementation.

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said two Israeli soldiers were killed in a Hamas attack in Rafah, southern Gaza, involving an anti-tank missile and gunfire on troops dismantling infrastructure. Hamas denied involvement.

In response, the IDF carried out airstrikes and artillery shelling across Gaza, killing at least 44 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Since the ceasefire took effect, Gaza-based health authorities report 80 Palestinians killed and 303 injured, while civil defense teams have recovered 426 bodies. Overall, the death toll in Gaza since Oct 7, 2023, stands at 68,216, with 170,361 injured.