Israeli Airstrike Kills Three in Gaza as West Bank Arrests Surge

An Israeli air attack targeted a group of men gathered outside a school in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, killing at least three people. The incident occurred as Israeli forces arrested at least 30 Palestinians in raids across several cities and towns in the occupied West Bank.

Medics at Al-Aqsa Hospital reported the killings, with the bodies of the victims laid out in white shrouds outside the hospital's morgue. Relatives and friends gathered to bid farewell, with some kissing the victims' foreheads before holding special prayers.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the airstrike. The killings took place as mediators met with leaders from the Palestinian group Hamas to bolster a fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States, which began last October.

The ceasefire has been marred by violence, with over 750 Palestinians killed since it took effect. Hamas fighters have killed four Israeli soldiers, and both sides have traded blame for violations.

Israeli forces have also been accused of moving yellow concrete markers westwards in Gaza, which Palestinians say is an attempt to expand a depopulated zone. Israel denies this.

In the West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners Media Office reported that two children and some freed detainees were among those arrested in the raids. The military operations included searches of homes and property damage.

The conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with over 72,000 Palestinians killed in Israel's war on Gaza, which began in October 2023. In the occupied West Bank, at least 1,133 Palestinians have been killed, 11,700 others wounded, and nearly 22,000 arrested.

The International Court of Justice has declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.