Gaza’s civil defence agency reported on Sunday that nine people were killed in Israeli strikes in the south of the Palestinian territory. On Saturday evening, “Israeli strikes hit police posts… in the Al-Mawasi area,” killing eight, according to Mohammed al-Mughair, an official at the agency which operates under Hamas authority. Another person was killed on Sunday “after being hit by fire from Israeli forces” at a roundabout in Khan Yunis, Mughair said.

According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, a young girl was among the dead on Saturday night. AFP images showed bodies being transported from the morgue of Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, then laid out on the ground, wrapped in white shrouds. During the funerals, one woman was screaming, surrounded by crying men and children. Ahmed al-Sufi, a Palestinian who had lost family, said: “Each day, the enemy hunts down and kills.”

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to AFP's questions about the strikes.

The Israeli military issued a statement in which it said it had “eliminated” overnight a cell of 10 armed terrorists from Hamas operating in the center of Gaza, as well as another person the day before, who had repeatedly crossed the yellow line behind which Israeli forces in Gaza have withdrawn. Israel and Hamas continue to accuse each other of violating the ceasefire in place since October 10 that largely halted two years of war in the territory.

Israel has continued to strike Gaza, killing at least 702 Palestinians since the start of the ceasefire, according to the Gaza health ministry, which also operates under Hamas authority. The United Nations considers the ministry’s figures to be reliable. Israel says five of its soldiers have been killed since the start of the truce. Media restrictions and limited access in Gaza have prevented AFP from independently verifying casualty figures or freely covering the fighting.

Media restrictions and limited access in Gaza have prevented AFP from independently verifying casualty figures or freely covering the fighting. The situation in the region remains tense, with mutual accusations of ceasefire violations and a high number of civilian casualties. The international community is closely monitoring the events, urging both sides to respect the cessation of hostilities and to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict.

The lack of access to information and restrictions imposed on journalists make it difficult to produce accurate and verified reports on the situation in Gaza. This situation underscores the importance of freedom of the press and access to information in conflict zones, as well as the need for an independent and impartial investigation of allegations of human rights violations.