Nine killed in Israeli drone attacks on Gaza

Gaza: Nine people were killed and several others injured on Saturday by Israeli drone attacks in northern Gaza.

The drone attacked a group of citizens in Beit Lahia and bombed a vehicle, leading to the death of nine citizens, including two journalists, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza received the bodies of the victims and a number of injuries, some of whom were in serious condition, WAFA said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian sources and eyewitnesses reported that the drone targeted a team from the Al-Khair Foundation, while it was carrying out a relief mission.

Among the dead were photojournalists, a media spokesperson, and a driver, according to workers at the foundation, an international Muslim aid non-governmental organization based in Britain and Turkey.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed its attack on Beit Lahia in a statement, saying the targeted were “terrorists,” two of whom “operated a drone that posed a threat to IDF troops,” and a few others “collected the drone operating equipment and entered a vehicle.”

Earlier on Saturday, the IDF said in a separate statement that it struck three militants in the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza who allegedly attempted to plant explosive devices on the ground.

The IDF did not mention the physical condition of the three targeted.

So far, there have been no reports from authorities in Gaza regarding the attack in central Gaza.

Israeli forces have recently intensified airstrikes in Gaza amid uncertainty over the durability of a phased ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas in January. The first six-week phase of the deal expired on March 1, and negotiations on the second phase remain stalled.

The death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, has topped 48,000, with more than 111,000 others injured, according to the latest data from the Gaza-based health authorities.

–IANS