Israeli shelling kills 4 Palestinians in Gaza City

At least four Palestinians were killed on Friday in an Israeli shelling of the Zeitoun neighborhood southeast of Gaza City, according to local sources, reported Xinhua.

Eyewitnesses who require anonymity told Xinhua that the victims were directly targeted when collecting firewood near the Subha Al-Harazin elementary school.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Friday that it had struck several militants who were spotted operating near its troops in central Gaza and attempting to plant explosive devices on the ground.

The shelling occurred shortly after Hamas announced that it had agreed to a proposal from mediators on releasing Israeli-U.S. hostage Edan Alexander and the bodies of four other dual nationals.

Also on Friday, Hamas said in a separate statement that its negotiating team had headed to Cairo to meet with Egyptian officials and follow up on developments in talks on the Gaza ceasefire.

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 Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday that the death toll in Gaza since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, had risen to 48,524, with 111,955 others injured.