UN says Israel still killing people in Gaza amid threats to resume war

The United Nations has warned that Israel is continuing to kill Palestinians in Gaza despite the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect last week.

Medical officials at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis said two Palestinians were killed in separate Israeli attacks on Thursday morning.

One man was struck and killed by an Israeli drone in Bani Suheila, south of Khan Younis, while another died from wounds sustained earlier this week near Gaza City’s College of Science and Technology.

Since the ceasefire began last Friday, dozens of bodies have been recovered from the rubble across Gaza, and at least three people have been killed in new Israeli attacks.

The UN said these violations highlight the "fragile and dangerous" state of the truce, which came after two years of relentless bombardment that left the enclave in ruins.

Trump threatens resumption of war

Speaking to CNN, US President Donald Trump said he may "allow Israel to return to Gaza as soon as I say the word" if Hamas fails to meet its commitments under the US-brokered ceasefire deal. "Whatever is happening with Hamas will be corrected quickly," he added.

The US president claimed that Hamas had "begun taking out violent gangs" in Gaza and said he was "looking into" reports of killings, suggesting Israel could resume operations if the group does not disarm. "If Hamas refuses to disarm, Israel will be back in the streets," he warned.

His comments followed statements from Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz, who instructed the army to prepare a “comprehensive plan” to defeat Hamas should the ceasefire collapse.

Israel has already stopped aid convoys entering Gaza and delayed reopening the Rafah crossing with Egypt, accusing Hamas of failing to hand over the bodies of Israeli captives as agreed.

Hamas: Israel responsible for delays

A senior Hamas official said that Israel’s ongoing violations and the destruction and devastation caused by its two year war on Gaza have made it extremely difficult to locate and recover the captives’ bodies.

The Palestinian group said it has already handed over several remains and confirmed it needs specialised equipment to retrieve others still trapped beneath the rubble left by Israeli bombardment.

Meanwhile, another Hamas source told Arabi21 that negotiations for the second phase of Trump’s plan had not yet begun.

"There is no specific date for new talks, and our current focus is on forcing Israel to respect the terms of the first phase," the source said.

The UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said in Cairo that Gaza remains a "wasteland” and called for “real generosity and access" from the international community to prevent the collapse of the ceasefire.

"We need the funding, we need the access, and we need this peace agreement to hold," he said.