FIVE Palestinians, including two children, were killed in Israeli army strikes in al-Mawasi, near Khan Younis. This came after the Israeli army said that four of its soldiers were wounded in clashes in Rafah.
Wafa, the Palestinian news agency, says that dozens of people were wounded in the strikes, in addition to those killed.
The attacks caused the burning of several tents housing displaced Palestinians, and medical sources at the Kuwaiti Hospital, which initially reported the casualties to our team on the ground, told Wafa that the bodies of those killed arrived badly charred.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, the long-closed Rafah crossing is to be opened for medical evacuations and travel to and from Gaza.
Israel says Palestinians will not be able to return to Gaza through the crossing until the last captive remains are returned from Gaza. Egypt, which controls the other side, said the crossing will open only if movement goes both ways.
Hussein Haridy, a former Egyptian assistant foreign minister, said Egypt remains “committed to UN Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted on October 17 last year, which endorsed a ceasefire plan”.
All crossings should be opened under the resolution, and Egypt is working with the European Union and the Palestinian Authority on operating the posts, including Rafah, when conditions allow, he told Al Jazeera from Cairo.
“We need to operate the Rafah crossing according to the [US President Donald] Trump peace plan. Ever since 1948, the date Israel was established, we’ve become accustomed to Israeli manoeuvring when it comes to implementing ceasefire agreements,” said Haridy.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said earlier today that a lasting peace with Israel could pave the way to normalising ties with the country and establishing economic ties, but that those milestones remain far off given current tensions.
“Economic [talks] will be a part of normalisation, normalisation will follow peace. It cannot precede peace,” Salam said, when asked about Israel’s statements that it was hoping to build ties and economic cooperation with Lebanon.
“We are far from being there,” he told reporters at his office.
His statements came after Israel said it was sending representatives to Beirut to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries.
Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 70,117 Palestinians and wounded 170,999 since October 2023. A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023 attacks, and about 200 were taken captive.