At least nine Palestinians, including three local journalists, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, the local health ministry reported. The strike, which hit a car carrying aid workers and media personnel, also left several critically injured.
Witnesses said the victims were on a mission for the Al-Khair Foundation, a local charity, when their vehicle was struck. Palestinian media confirmed that three journalists were among those killed. The Israeli military, however, claimed that six of the deceased were affiliated with Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and accused some of them of using journalist cover.
Salama Marouf, head of the Hamas-run Gaza media office, rejected the Israeli military’s claims, stating that the victims were civilians on a charity mission and posed no threat to Israeli forces.
Later on Saturday, another Israeli airstrike in Juhr Eldeek, central Gaza, reportedly killed two more Palestinians. Hamas accused Israel of violating the January 19 ceasefire agreement, alleging that 150 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since its implementation.
The fragile ceasefire remains in jeopardy as Hamas leaders continue negotiations in Cairo to push for a permanent truce. Hamas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of stalling the process, calling on mediators to ensure Israel adheres to the agreed terms.
Israel, for its part, maintains that its forces are targeting “terrorist threats” and that it is not obligated to move to the second phase of the ceasefire, which requires negotiations for a permanent end to the conflict.
As ceasefire talks continue, Hamas offered to release American-Israeli dual national Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli soldier, if Israel commits to negotiations on a permanent ceasefire. Israel dismissed the proposal, calling it “psychological warfare.”
The war, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a deadly cross-border raid into Israel, has resulted in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza health officials. The conflict has left much of Gaza in ruins and fueled international accusations of war crimes against Israel, which it denies.
