Gaza Strikes Kill Five; Israel Cites Hamas Threat

Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least five Palestinians in separate incidents in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Oct. 20, according to Haaretz; AL-Monitor reported at least four deaths. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas militant in an apartment strike and claimed Hamas has been rearming and launching attacks in violation of the ceasefire. Hamas denied trying to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal.

The Apartment Strike

Medics told AL-Monitor that an Israeli airstrike killed Akram Yassin and his wife, Dina Abu Baker, in their Gaza City apartment. The Israeli military said it struck a militant in the area but gave no further details. The Associated Press reported that Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies, identified the two people killed as a man and his wife, and said the military had targeted a Hamas militant.

AP captions identified the couple as Dina Yassin and her husband. Their daughter, Dima Yassin, mourned at their funeral, the captions said. Palestinians inspected the damaged apartment building before gathering for the funeral.

Mahmoud Yassin, whose brother was killed, said: "We're supposed to be in a ceasefire period, but honestly, we are not seeing a ceasefire or anything. The war is still going on, assassinations are continuing, and the shelling has not stopped."

Conflicting Toll Reports

In Khan Younis in southern Gaza, medics said Israeli gunfire killed a 17-year-old boy near the Qizan Al-Najar neighbourhood. Israeli gunfire also killed another person in the Zeitoun suburb east of Gaza City, bringing AL-Monitor's reported total for Tuesday to at least four.

Haaretz reported five deaths. Its subheadline said an Israeli airstrike killed a couple in western Gaza City and Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian child in southern Gaza. The reports didn't provide further identifying details about the additional death reflected in Haaretz's higher count.

The Associated Press said the apartment attack followed strikes on Monday that killed at least four people. AP reported that Israel continued near-daily strikes on what it said were members of Hamas. The reports didn't identify weapons stored in the apartment or say that anyone used it as military infrastructure.

Ceasefire Claims and Casualty Figures

The United States brokered the ceasefire more than a year before Tuesday, according to the reports. It calls for the eventual reconstruction of Gaza, but little progress had been made toward implementing a deal to end the conflict. The deal includes terms for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its troops.

Israel said Hamas had been rearming and launching attacks in violation of the ceasefire, and AL-Monitor reported that Israel had stepped up strikes on the group in recent weeks. Hamas denied trying to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal and accused Israel of undermining the Gaza peace deal.

Gaza health officials said at least 1,500 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire. AP described Gaza's health ministry as part of the Hamas-run government, said it maintains detailed records and is generally considered reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts, and noted that its toll doesn't distinguish between civilians and militants. The ministry said women and children make up nearly half of those killed. Israel said militants in Gaza had killed four of its soldiers over the same period.