Israeli fire killed a Palestinian and injured another in Gaza city's Shujaiya neighbourhood on Tuesday in a “continued violation” of a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, official news agency Wafa reported.
The Israeli army said in a statement that it eliminated a “terrorist” who posed “an imminent threat” to troops after being identified crossing the yellow line, the deployment line agreed upon in the ceasefire that has largely calmed two years of fighting.
Hamas's armed wing said on Tuesday that it had found the body of an Israeli hostage in eastern Shujaiya "during the search and excavation operations inside the yellow line." It said arrangements were underway to hand it over to Israel.
The group said that the entry of equipment to Gaza and the presence of its fighters accompanying the Red Cross teams inside the yellow line greatly contributed to locating and recovering bodies.
The handover is a key part of the initial phase of the ceasefire. In the next stage, foreign peacekeepers in Gaza could be given a two-year mission to ensure Hamas disarms, under plans being drawn up at the UN.
An “international stabilisation force” is a central plank of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. Egypt, which is set to take a leading role, says UN backing is essential to give it legitimacy.
A draft UN resolution seen byAxioswould assign it the task of “ensuring the process of demilitarising the Gaza Strip… as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons”, suggesting its role could include disarming Hamas. Negotiations on the draft are expected to take place in the coming days.
Under the resolution proposed by the US, the force would deploy “under unified command acceptable to the Board of Peace”, a group to be led by Mr Trump. Egypt, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Indonesia are in the frame to provide troops but Israel has suggested it could veto some countries’ involvement.
The violence has not completely stopped, and both sides have accused the other of breaching the US-brokered truce. Israeli fighter jets launched strikes in Gaza city on Monday night, Wafa reported, despite the ceasefire.
Two attacks were reported in the east of the territory's largest city. There was no comment from the Israeli military on those strikes.
On Monday, three Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces north of Rafah in southern Gaza, health officials told Wafa. The Israeli military said “terrorists” had crossed the yellow line and advanced towards its troops, posing a threat.
On Sunday, an Israeli air strike killed a man near a vegetable market in Shujaiya. The military said its aircraft struck a militant who posed a danger.
Israeli attacks have killed at least 238 Palestinians since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10. Nearly half of those deaths occurred on one day last week in air strikes across Gaza in retaliation for an alleged attack on Israeli troops. Israel says three of its soldiers were killed.
Israel withdrew its troops to behind the yellow line in the east of the enclave under the peace plan set out by Mr Trump. The army is supposed to withdraw further at a later stage of the arrangement.
But there has been little sign of progress towards the next phase. Major obstacles lie ahead, including the disarmament of Hamas and a timeline for complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
About 200 US troops have set up base in southern Israel to monitor the ceasefire and help make plans for an international force to stabilise Gaza, as laid out in Mr Trump's blueprint.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Monday visited the Civil Military Co-ordination Centre, as well as the Karam Abu Salem crossing between Israel and Gaza.
The intelligence chief is the latest high-level official to visit Israel in recent days as Washington attempts to keep Mr Trump's peace plan on track.
Mr Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Mr Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff have all been in Israel.
