Egypt Daily News – The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza stated that at least nine Palestinians were killed, including three local journalists, and others were injured on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza Strip.
This comes as leaders from Hamas participate in ceasefire talks for Gaza with mediators in Cairo.
Health officials said that several people were seriously injured when the airstrike targeted a vehicle, with casualties both inside and outside the car.
Witnesses and journalists said that the passengers of the vehicle were on a mission for a charity organization called “Al-Khair Foundation” in Beit Lahia, accompanied by journalists and photographers when they were targeted by the strike. Palestinian media reported that at least three local journalists were among the dead.
The Israeli military stated, “Two militants were observed operating a drone, posing a threat to IDF forces in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza, and the military attacked the militants.”
Later, the army added that it had targeted several other suspects, stating that they had gathered “drone activation equipment in the attack area and entered a vehicle.”
The military did not disclose how it identified the individuals as “terrorists” or provide details about the threat posed by the drone to its soldiers.
This incident highlights the fragility of the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on January 19, halting large-scale fighting in Gaza. Palestinian health officials say that dozens have been killed by Israeli fire despite the agreement.
Salama Maarouf, head of the government media office in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, denied the Israeli military’s claims.
“We reject all the allegations promoted by the occupation and deny its claims justifying this crime. We confirm that the team targeted in the bombing was entirely civilian and was working in an area where a shelter center is located, carrying out media documentation for a charity organization,” Maarouf said in a statement.
He added, “They were not in a prohibited area or one that posed any kind of threat to the Israeli army.”
