Zionist regime snipers fatally shoot 2 Palestinian minors in Rafah, Gaza, amid ongoing ceasefire
Israeli gunfire has resulted in the deaths of two Palestinian children and left several others injured in the city of Rafah, located in the Gaza Strip, despite an existing ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.
Zakaria Hamid Yahya Barbakh was tragically killed by gunfire on Monday near al-Awda Square in the southern region of Rafah city, located in the southern Gaza Strip. Eyewitness accounts captured on video suggest that the Israeli army subsequently fired upon an individual attempting to retrieve the child’s body.
According to recent reports, one Palestinian child has been killed and nine others, including several children, sustained injuries following Israeli gunfire in Rafah earlier today.
Palestinian sources have alleged that Israeli tanks breached a designated buffer zone, engaging in intense gunfire directed at civilians. Reports indicate that the military advanced approximately 850 meters (2,789 feet) into the territory, exceeding the 700-meter limit set forth in the ceasefire agreement.
The newly implemented ceasefire agreement, which commenced on Sunday, is set to remain in effect for a duration of 42 days. The accord outlines plans for discussions regarding future phases, with mediation being provided by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. In a related development, Hamas has released three Israeli women in a reciprocal gesture that saw the liberation of 90 Palestinian detainees, predominantly comprising women and children.
Despite the ongoing ceasefire in the conflict-ridden Gaza Strip, Israeli hostilities persist in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli settlers, with the support of military forces, have reportedly carried out acts of violence in several villages located in the occupied West Bank, north of Jerusalem. Reports indicate that Palestinian homes, a nursery, and a local business have been set ablaze during the incidents.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Palestine issued a statement expressing deep concern over a resurgence of violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers and military forces in the occupied West Bank. This escalation occurs in the context of the ongoing implementation of the recently established Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Reports indicate that alongside acts of violence attributed to settlers, Israeli forces have implemented military checkpoints and road closures throughout the West Bank, significantly limiting the mobility of Palestinian residents.
Palestinian media reports indicate that access to al-Khalil, Qalqilya, and Salfit, along with multiple towns and villages within the Salfit governorate, has been restricted. Similar security measures are reportedly being implemented in Bethlehem.
In a recent policy shift, former US President Donald Trump has enacted an executive order lifting sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank. These sanctions were initially imposed by the administration of President Joe Biden, as part of their strategy to address what they referred to as the “extremist settlement movement.”
