Israeli Attack Kills 9, Gaza Ceasefire Agreement Faces Test | WPN World People News

The Gaza Civil Defense Organization stated that an Israeli attack on the 15th resulted in the deaths of nine people, including media professionals, potentially further endangering the fragile truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

According to AFP, following the attack in Gaza, Hamas accused Israel of "blatantly violating" the ceasefire agreement reached between the two sides on January 19 of this year. In October 2023, conflict erupted between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, and after 15 months of warfare, a temporary ceasefire agreement was reached in January of this year. Although the first phase of the ceasefire expired on March 1 and no subsequent agreement has been reached, both sides have exercised restraint and have not resumed full-scale war.

On the 12th, a senior Hamas official stated that both parties had begun a new round of negotiations in Doha, and Israel had also sent mediators.

Gaza Civil Defense Organization spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal told AFP on the 15th, "Nine martyrs were taken to the hospital, including several media professionals and some staff members from the Al-Khair Charitable Organization." He noted that the incident began when Israel launched a drone attack on Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, followed by artillery shelling in the area.

The Israeli side stated that in Beit Lahia, the military used a drone to strike two terrorists who posed a threat to Israeli forces. Subsequently, several other terrorists seized the drone operation equipment and entered a vehicle, prompting the Israeli military to launch an attack on them.