Eleven killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza

New Delhi, Feb 15: Eleven Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes in Gaza on Sunday morning, according to Palestinian civil defence and health officials, the BBC reported. The Israeli military, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), said it targeted “terror sites” in response to ceasefire violations by Hamas. The IDF added that militants were killed after coming out of a tunnel into an area controlled by Israeli forces. The Palestinian Red Crescent said a strike on a tent camp in northern Gaza killed at least six people. Another strike in southern Gaza killed five people.

Israel and Hamas have accused each other of almost daily violations of a fragile ceasefire that began on 10 October. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says at least 600 people have been killed since the truce started. Earlier this month, at least 32 people were killed in a series of Israeli air strikes across Gaza, according to local officials.

The latest violence comes as preparations continue for the second phase of a US-brokered ceasefire deal. Last month, US President Donald Trump announced the creation of a new body called the Board of Peace. The group has a mandate from the United Nations Security Council to set up an international force to secure Gaza’s border areas and oversee the disarmament of Hamas.