CAIRO(National Times)- Israeli strikes killed at least five Palestinians and wounded several others across the Gaza Strip on Monday, the territory’s health officials said, as Israel steps up attacks amid a stalled, year-old US-brokered ceasefire and heightened regional tensions.
Medics said three people were killed and six others wounded in two separate air strikes in Khan Yunis, while a third person was killed in Al-Mussadar. Later on Monday, an air strike hit a vehicle in Gaza City’s Tel Al-Hawa neighbourhood, killing one person and wounding others, medics said.
Israel, which says Hamas has been rearming and launching attacks in violation of a year-old US-brokered ceasefire, has stepped up strikes in recent weeks. Hamas has denied trying to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal and accuses Israel of undermining the Gaza peace deal.
Negotiators have failed to agree on terms for Hamas to disarm or Israel to withdraw its troops, who control about two-thirds of the territory.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Monday said there would be no security in the Middle East region until the Palestinians’ right to a homeland is fulfilled.
“We reiterate, time and again, that there can be no security or stability in our region without upholding the Palestinian people’s right to their homeland,” he said at the opening of Jordan’s parliament.
“Despite international calls for an end to Israel’s violations, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continues, as do the relentless attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem, whilst Israel’s expansionist ambitions remain the greatest threat to the region’s future and hopes,” the king said.
The speech came days after Israel held a legislative election that saw Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party win the most votes, but fall short of a majority.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli troops withdrew from a Hebron neighborhood evacuated of more than 3,000 Palestinian residents following an Oct 23 checkpoint attack that killed two soldiers.
An Israeli military official said soldiers conducted thorough searches, detained suspects, confiscated four weapons and demolished the two attackers’ homes.
