IDF: Troops fired at Gazan suspects who approached them after crossing ceasefire line
The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that it opened fire on Gazans who approached troops in Gaza City and near Khan Younis after crossing the so-called Yellow Line, to which the military withdrew as part of the Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal.
The Hamas-controlled civil defense agency reported five people killed in an Israeli drone strike while trying to return to their homes in Gaza City’s eastern Shejaiya neighborhood, and another person was killed in a separate drone strike on a gathering in the al-Fukhari area east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
In both cases, the IDF said, troops “opened fire to remove the threat,” in accordance with the ceasefire deal.
In al-Fukhari, the IDF said, suspects approached the troops in a manner that posed an immediate threat and attempted to reach a Hamas weapon depot that had been destroyed by the military. In Gaza City, according to the military, troops opened fire on suspects who refused a call to disperse. The military also denied reports that an army encampment in the area was infiltrated by the suspects or other gunmen.
“The IDF calls on Gaza residents to follow its instructions and not to approach the troops deployed in the area,” said the military.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the Israeli fire represented “a violation of the ceasefire agreement,” and, referring to Israel, called........
© The Times of Israel
