Israeli soldiers have opened fire at Palestinian civilians who were trying to return to their homes in northern Gaza shortly after the start of the four-day truce between Tel Aviv and Hamas, an AP journalist has reported from the scene.
At least two people have been killed and 11 other had their legs injured during the incident, the US news agency claimed on Friday.
An Israeli military spokesman told Haaretz news paper that reports of the use of live fire by the IDF troops against the Palestinians were being investigated.
According to the paper, the number of civilians wounded by “Israeli fire” during their attempts to reach the north of Gaza stood at 15. They’ve been transferred to a hospital in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza for treatment, Haaretz added.
The Times of Israel also reported that some people were trying to get out of the southern part of the enclave. However, it said that the IDF had only been using riot dispersal means to make them turn back.
Shortly after the truce kicked in at 7am local time, the Israeli military began dropping leaflets on Gaza warning locals against returning to their homes in the northern part of the enclave.
The IDF’s Arabic media spokesman Avichay Adraee also addressed the Palestinians on X (formerly Twitter), reminding them that, despite the ceasefire, “the war is not over yet. The humanitarian pause is temporary. The northern Gaza Strip is a dangerous war zone and it is forbidden to move north”. Those who are still in northern Gaza should instead use the truce to evacuate to the south via the Salah al-Din Road, Adraee stressed.
The ceasefire deal calls for Hamas to free at least 50 out of around 240 hostages it captured during the October 7 attack and Israel to release some 150 of its Palestinians prisoners. The first exchange, reportedly featuring 13 Israeli women and children and 39 Palestinian females and teenagers, is expected to take place on Friday.
The IDF also pledged to halt its airstrikes on southern Gaza, introduce daily six-hour pauses in its attacks on the northern part of the enclave and allow for aid to enter Gaza, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, which helped to broker the agreement, said. The first trucks with humanitarian cargo have already begun entering Gaza from Egypt, according to reports.
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