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Renewed Israeli attacks killed four and wounded six in Gaza

Ramallah, Mar 2 (Prensa Latina) The Israeli army killed four Palestinians and wounded six others in attacks on the Gaza Strip today, in what appears to be a resumption of the war hours after the 42-day ceasefire.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement that its teams transferred two bodies in the northern town of Beit Hanoun, one dead and two wounded in the town of Al-Faraim, and two more wounded in the southern governorate of Rafah.

The official Palestinian news agency (Wafa) reported another death in the Egyptian border town of Rafah.

Since the ceasefire began on 19 January, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have killed 116 people and wounded hundreds in the coastal enclave, according to Wafa.

Tensions have escalated in recent hours over Israel’s refusal to move to the second phase of the truce, as demanded by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government only wants to extend the first phase for another 42 days in order to secure the release of its compatriots held by Palestinian militias, while the latter want to move forward in the process of ending the conflict and rebuilding the coastal enclave.

Against this backdrop, Israel on Sunday halted the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

On government orders, the IDF closed all border crossings in a dramatic decision that coincided with the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the online version of the Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported.

Al Jazeera television said the move was aimed at pressuring Hamas to accept Israel’s demands, based on the so-called “Witkoff plan”.

US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, proposed extending the first phase of the ceasefire for another 42 days, during which half of the Israeli prisoners, both dead and alive, would be handed over on the first day.

Hamas, however, rejects this possibility, believing that it would lose its main trump card of denial without getting anything in return, in particular a permanent ceasefire.

The armed group is demanding the fulfilment of agreed commitments, according to which the first phase of the ceasefire would be followed by a second phase, which would include the end of the conflict and the full withdrawal of the IDF.

mh/oda/rob

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