Israel kills Gaza teenager as row erupts over 'Palestinian Authority' administration logo

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager in southern Gaza on Tuesday, prompting Hamas to call for international protests against Israel's continued breaches of a ceasefire agreement.

Nineteen-year-old Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Abdel Aal was killed in the Al-Maslakh area south of Khan Younis, which comes a day after three Palestinians also lost their lives and others were wounded in Israeli attacks on Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza and Jabalia in the north.

Israel has killed Palestinians and demolished buildings in Gaza on an almost daily basis since the truce was agreed in October, drawing condemnation from international rights groups.

Hamas on Tuesday called for marches to take place around the world over this weekend to denounce Israel's ongoing attacks in the besieged enclave.

"Let the coming days be a continuous and escalating global movement that expresses the voice of the global conscience and speaks out against occupation, oppression and genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip," the group said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Gaza's information technology sector has suffered severe damage as a result of the continuing Israeli offensive, dealing a major blow to the enclave's economy, The New Arab's Arabic language edition reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, the IT sector had provided job opportunities for thousands of recent graduates and engineers, many of whom worked remotely with international companies, a lifeline that has now largely collapsed.

Conditions in Gaza have not improved despite the partial reopening of the Rafah crossing.

On Tuesday, Qatar's foreign ministry again called on all parties to fully implement a ceasefire for Gaza and to allow for the sustainable and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave via the full opening of border crossings by Israel.

Local media have reported that Israeli forces are harassing Palestinians allowed to return to Gaza through Rafah, with many describing humiliating treatment, while NGOs have warned that the current aid system is unsustainable.

One woman, who spoke to Arabi21 news site on condition of anonymity, said a group of women were singled out, blindfolded, and interrogated for long periods.

She also told the outlet that soldiers had attempted to kidnap the women's children and blackmail one person into working as a spy.

Gaza Administration Committee 

The latest developments come as Israel voiced anger over the logo of the newly formed, non-political Gaza technocratic committee, led by Ali Shaath, which is tasked with overseeing security and infrastructure in the enclave.

The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which will govern Gaza during the transitional phase, published its logo on Monday evening, prompting criticism from Israeli officials due to its resemblance to the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) emblem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the logo was not the same one previously presented to Israeli officials and insisted that the PA would not be involved in governing Gaza.

"Israel will not accept the use of the Palestinian Authority's logo, and the Palestinian Authority will not be a partner in the administration of Gaza," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

Israeli news outlet Ynet reported that despite Netanyahu's opposition to any governance role for Hamas or the PA, several of the 15 members appointed to the committee reportedly have ties to Ramallah.

The committee began its work in mid-January in Cairo and is one of four bodies established to manage Gaza's transitional phase.

Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians since October 2023 and has been described as a genocide by leading rights groups, including Amnesty International.