Israel carried out fresh strikes and opened fire in parts of Gaza on Monday, stoking fears for a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hamas as Washington dispatched senior envoys to steady the deal.
Gaza’s Civil Defence said four people were killed in two incidents in the al-Shaaf area of eastern Gaza City, alleging they were shot while returning to check their homes.
The Israel Defense Forces said troops targeted militants who had crossed a designated withdrawal boundary near Shuja’iyya and “posed a threat” to soldiers.
That boundary—dubbed the “yellow line”—appears on a ceasefire map circulated by U.S. President Donald Trump on October 4. Residents say the line is hard to discern amid widespread destruction.
The ceasefire, in place since October 10, has been punctured by repeated violence, with Gaza officials reporting at least 97 Palestinian fatalities to date.
On Sunday, local health authorities said 42 people, including children, were killed in Israeli air strikes after Israel accused Hamas fighters of violating the truce by killing two soldiers in Rafah—an allegation Hamas denied.
Amid the tensions, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday. Vice President JD Vance is due in Israel on Tuesday as part of the push to reinforce the agreement’s next steps.
Under the truce framework, Hamas has continued transfers related to Israeli captives. The International Committee of the Red Cross has received additional remains and handed them to Israeli authorities in recent days, according to official statements.
Israel briefly threatened to halt humanitarian deliveries before saying it would resume enforcing the ceasefire. The United Nations confirmed aid shipments had restarted, though access remains limited and subject to checkpoints, aid officials and local reporters said. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini urged all parties to uphold the “fragile” truce and called for investigations into alleged breaches of international humanitarian law.
Diplomats say the next phase of the accord envisages further Israeli withdrawals, steps toward disarming Hamas, and an internationally backed interim administration for Gaza—elements contested by Hamas and allied factions. Egypt hosted talks in Cairo on Monday with senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya on implementing the deal, according to regional outlets.
Source: Al Jazeera
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