Gaza: Israeli Airstrike Kills Three Police Officers, Violating Ceasefire

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Three Palestinian policemen were killed in an Israeli airstrike east of Rafah in southern Gaza on Sunday, Gaza’s Interior Ministry confirmed, marking another violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The officers were hit while securing the entry of aid trucks through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing.

In a statement, the ministry condemned the attack, and called on mediators and the international community to compel the occupation to stop targeting the police force, which is a civil apparatus.”

The Israeli military claimed it struck ‘several armed individuals’ in southern Gaza after they approached Israeli soldiers.

“Hits were identified,” it said in a statement.

Hamas has issued a statement condemning the “treacherous” drone attack that killed three police officers as “a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement”.

Hamas added that Israel’s refusal to allow the entry of heavy machinery into the strip also breaches the terms of the agreement, saying that Israel’s stalling of the second phase of the talks confirm its lack of commitment to the truce.

Tensions had risen ahead of the first phase of the ceasefire deal.

Hamas said Thursday it is committed to the release of Israeli captives and upholding the ceasefire agreement, just days after the Palestinian resistance group announced it would delay the release of the three captives scheduled for Saturday due to Israeli ceasefire violations, including shooting Palestinians in Gaza and not allowing the agreed-upon number of tents, shelters, and other vital aid to enter the besieged enclave. Israel responded by saying that if Hamas failed to free captives according to the schedule, it would resume its war.

In a statement, Hamas said it would continue implementing the ceasefire agreement, including the exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian detainees, “according to the specified timetable.”

A Palestinian source quoted by AFP news agency said on Thursday that mediators had obtained from Israel a “promise … to put in place a humanitarian protocol starting from this morning” that would allow construction equipment and temporary housing into the devastated territory.

Mediators also confirmed all parties remain committed to fulfilling the ceasefire terms, including the humanitarian protocol.

Since the ceasefire went into effect on January 19, Israeli forces have killed at least 92 Palestinians and wounded more than 800, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Reports said indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel are expected to start next week on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

On Saturday, Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza handed over three more Israeli captives as part of the sixth prisoner exchange deal under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

The three captives are American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, Russian-Israeli Alexandre Troufanov and Argentinian-Israeli Yair Horn.

In return, the Israeli occupation freed 369 Palestinian detainees, including 36 Palestinians who were serving life sentences and 333 who were abducted in the Gaza Strip during the assault.