An Israeli airstrike in Gaza and a separate fatal shooting in the occupied West Bank resulted in at least four deaths on Monday, local health authorities and Palestinian sources said, underscoring the persistence of hostilities despite a truce mediated by the United States.
In Gaza, medics reported that three people were killed and two others wounded after an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a group of Palestinians near the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City. There was no immediate comment from Israeli authorities regarding the strike.
Health officials in the territory noted that the casualty figures add to the heavy toll since the war began in October 2023, a conflict they say has left more than 72,000 people dead. They also reported that at least 50 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the outbreak of the broader confrontation with Iran, which began about a month ago.
Separately, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, health officials said Israeli forces shot and killed a 22-year-old man near the city of Hebron and that soldiers removed the body. Palestinian security sources identified the deceased as Ramzi Awawada and alleged that Israeli soldiers left him to bleed to death and obstructed rescuers from reaching him.
The Israeli military provided a different account, saying that forces shot and killed a Palestinian who ran toward them armed with a knife.
Rights groups and medical personnel reported that Israeli settlers have been exploiting movement restrictions imposed during the conflict with Iran to target Palestinians in the West Bank. They said military roadblocks have hampered ambulances and delayed medical assistance for victims.
The Palestinian Health Ministry added that at least five Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the wider conflict intensified on February 28.
Observers note that the violence in Gaza has continued even though a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect more than five months ago. The incidents come as Israel is also engaged, alongside the United States, in hostilities with Iran and has launched a new campaign against Hezbollah that includes operations led by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
Summary: Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and a shooting near Hebron on Monday killed at least four Palestinians, according to medics and Palestinian sources. The events occurred amid an extended U.S.-brokered ceasefire and a broader escalation involving Iran and Hezbollah.