An Israeli air strike killed three Palestinian police officers east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry said, calling it a breach of the fragile ceasefire that took effect on January 19.
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Palestinian officials said Israel was also violating the truce terms by blocking the entry of equipment to clear the rubble and shelters for displaced people in the enclave. Patients were also being stopped from leaving for hospital treatment in Egypt, they said.
The Interior Ministry said the three policemen who were killed had been deployed to the area to secure the entry of aid trucks into Gaza.
“The ministry … condemns this crime and calls upon the mediators and the international community to compel the occupation to stop targeting the police force, which is a civil apparatus,” it said in a statement.
Israel’s military said the strike had targeted several armed individuals who were moving towards Israeli forces deployed nearby and “hits were identified”.
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It called on Gaza residents to adhere to army instructions and refrain from approaching Israeli troops in the area.
In Gaza, a health ministry official said Israel had prevented the departure of dozens of patients and wounded Palestinians, who were supposed to leave for treatment at hospitals in neighbouring Egypt.