Israeli strikes kill three people in Gaza, medics say

CAIRO: Israeli strikes killed at least three Palestinians and wounded several others in the Gaza Strip on Monday, the ​territory’s health officials said.

Medics said two people were killed ‌and six others wounded in two separate airstrikes in Khan Younis, south of the enclave, while a third person was killed in an Israeli ​airstrike in the town of Al-Mussadar.

The Israeli military didn’t ​immediately comment on any of the attacks.

Israel, which says ⁠the Hamas militant group has been rearming and launching attacks ​in violation of a year-old ceasefire, has stepped up strikes on ​the group in recent weeks.

Hamas has denied trying to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal and accuses Israel of undermining the Gaza peace ​deal.

Last year’s US-brokered ceasefire calls for eventual reconstruction of the ​territory.

But little progress has been made as negotiators have failed to agree ‌on ⁠terms for Hamas to disarm or Israel to withdraw its troops, who control about two-thirds of the territory where they have ordered residents out.

Nearly all of the more than 2 million ​residents live in ​the remaining third ⁠of the enclave among war ruins, mostly in makeshift tents and damaged buildings, still under effective ​control of Hamas.

At least 1,580 Palestinians have been ​killed ⁠in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire, according to the territory’s health officials, while Israel says four soldiers have been killed.

Palestinian ⁠authorities ​say more than 74,000 people have been ​killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 ​people in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.