Several killed in Rafah, al-Zaytun as 'Israel' escalates Gaza attacks
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Rescue teams have retrieved the bodies of four martyrs from under the rubble of a house bombed by the Israeli occupation forces in the al-Zaytun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.
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Palestinian children watch as the bodies of victims from overnight Israeli army strikes at multiple locations in the central Gaza Strip are laid together for funeral prayers at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP)
At least four Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as "Israel" escalates its attacks on the besieged territory hours after the first phase of the fragile ceasefire agreement came to an end.
Gaza's Ministry of Health said on Sunday that "Israel’s" airstrikes on “various parts of the territory” have killed four people and injured six people since this morning.
Two people were martyred in an Israeli drone strike east of Gaza Airport, located in eastern Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported on Sunday evening.
Earlier, reports revealed that a drone attack on the northern town of Beit Hanoun killed at least one person and injured another.
Meanwhile, the civil defense in Gaza reported that two injured individuals were transported and a fire in a residential apartment was extinguished following an Israeli airstrike on the Tal Sultan neighborhood in western Rafah.
Rescue teams also retrieved the bodies of four martyrs from under the rubble of a house bombed by the Israeli occupation forces in the al-Zaytun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, during the genocidal war on the strip.
The attacks come as the Israeli occupation continues its aggression on Gaza. Israeli tanks fired several stun shells in central Rafah, while its military vehicles heavily opened fire on the al-Farahin area in Aabasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Since the ceasefire was declared on January 19, the number of martyrs has surpassed 116, with over 490 wounded.
States, UN officials decry Israeli halt of Gaza aid, demand its flow
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the Israeli occupation to cease its suspension of humanitarian supplies to Gaza "immediately".
The Secretary-General urged all parties to make every effort to avert a resumption of hostilities in Gaza, demanding that humanitarian aid return to Gaza "immediately" and that the release of all captives take place.
On his part, the chief of the United Nations humanitarian organization slammed the suspension of crucial supplies into Gaza, saying it violates international law.
"Israel's decision to halt aid into Gaza is alarming. International humanitarian law is clear: We must be allowed access to deliver vital lifesaving aid," OCHA Director Thomas Fletcher wrote on X.
Egypt says 'Israel' blocking aid 'flagrant violation' of truce deal
Egypt condemned on Sunday "Israel's" decision to stop humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip as a "flagrant violation" of the truce agreement in its war with Hamas, which Cairo had helped broker.
"Egypt affirms that these measures constitute a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement," said a statement from the Egyptian foreign ministry, accusing "Israel" of using starvation as "a weapon against the Palestinian people."
Tánaiste on Gaza aid: Serious threat risking lives
The Tánaiste of Ireland expressed in a statement great concern over reports of "Israel" halting aid in the Gaza Strip.
"Recent weeks saw a much-needed increase in aid reaching people in Gaza. Any threat to that poses a serious risk to people’s lives," the statement detailed.
Both sides must maintain the ceasefire deal and meet their commitments "through all of its phases," the statement continued, adding that there is an "enormous need for humanitarian aid in Gaza."
Ireland has been assisting UN partners in delivering aid to Gaza and has trucks ready to depart from Jordan with food and shelter, the statement added, highlighting some concerns that halting aid to Gaza could delay the delivery of this essential relief.
Hamas: Netanyahu halting aid 'blatant violation' of ceasefire deal
Hamas affirmed on Sunday that "Netanyahu's decision to halt humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is a cheap act of blackmail, a war crime, and a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange."
The movement called on mediators and the international community to pressure the occupation government to stop its "punitive and unethical measures against more than 2 million people," adding that "Netanyahu's statement regarding the extension of the first phase is a blatant attempt to evade the agreement and avoid entering negotiations for the second phase."
Earlier on Sunday, "Israel" announced the halting of all humanitarian aid to Gaza and the closing of passages "until further notice," emphasizing that "Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of all hostages, and if Hamas continues to refuse, there will be further consequences."
Hamas emphasized the importance of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement; however, "Israel" announced that it accepted an American proposal to extend the current phase of the ceasefire until mid-April, as negotiations for the second phase failed to produce results.
