Israeli Troops Kill Six Palestinians, Including a Baby, in Gaza City School Amid Ceasefire
Six Palestinians, including a baby, were killed by Israeli troops in a Gaza City school that was sheltering displaced people. The Palestinian civil defence reported that Israeli forces fired over the ceasefire line, and bodies were recovered only after coordination with the UN to avoid further Israeli fire.
The death toll in the Gaza war has risen to 401 Palestinians killed since the October ceasefire began. Mourners gathered at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City as families and witnesses described the scene of the attack.
The ceasefire line marks the area where Israeli troops have withdrawn to; however, Israel remains in control of about 53% of Gaza and continues airstrikes in other areas.
The ceasefire framework envisages a two-phase process: phase one aims to end hostilities, withdraw Israeli forces to the yellow line, and increase humanitarian aid; phase two seeks a permanent peace deal with Hamas disarmed and the establishment of a civilian transitional authority supported by an international stabilisation force.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the mandate and funding mechanism for the international stabilisation force must be clarified before any troop commitments are made. Meanwhile, Qatar's prime minister warned that delays in moving to the second phase threaten the entire peace process.
