Key facts
- Israeli strikes killed at least five Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday.
- Four people were killed in an Israeli strike near Panda Mall in Gaza City.
- One person was killed in the Tuffah neighborhood in a separate strike.
- The Israeli military said the strikes targeted militants.
Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Saturday resulted in the deaths of at least five Palestinians in two separate incidents, according to health officials. One strike near Panda Mall in Gaza City killed four people, while another in the Tuffah neighborhood killed one person.
The Israeli military confirmed that the strikes targeted militants, providing no further details. Tensions have escalated in recent weeks, with Israel citing Hamas's rearmament and attacks as violations of a ceasefire. Hamas denies these claims and accuses Israel of undermining a US-brokered truce agreed upon a year ago, which aimed for the territory's reconstruction.
Since the truce was agreed last October, Gaza health officials report at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, while Israel states four of its soldiers have died from militant attacks in Gaza during the same period. The ongoing conflict was initiated by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, which resulted in 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages taken. Israel's subsequent military operations in Gaza have led to over 74,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza health officials.