UPDATE - Israel kills 3 Palestinians in Gaza despite ongoing ceasefire agreement

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS AND ISRAELI STATEMENT - DELETED NAMES OF KILLED PALESTINIANS

By Jomaa Younis and Abdel Ra'ouf D. A. R. Arnaout

GAZA CITY / ISTANBUL (AA) - The Israeli military said Friday that it killed three Palestinians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah after detecting eight Palestinians exiting an underground tunnel.

In a statement, the army said Unit 414 identified eight people exiting underground infrastructure in eastern Rafah overnight. The air force, acting on guidance from the Gaza Division’s 143rd Brigade, targeted the group, killing three of them, it added.

The incident came amid the near-daily Israeli violations since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, including shelling and gunfire that have killed 492 Palestinians and wounded 1,356 others.

Witnesses also added that an Israeli drone targeted a civilian gathering near the Abu Namous roundabout east of Maghazi early in the morning, killing two men in an area Israeli forces had left under the ceasefire.

In a related development, witnesses said Israeli military vehicles and helicopters opened heavy, indiscriminate fire east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, in areas under Israeli control.

Israeli fighter jets also carried out several airstrikes inside areas controlled by the Israeli military in the southern city of Rafah, while heavy and random gunfire targeted western parts of the city.

The army said it later targeted areas where the remaining individuals attempted to flee, and that it is still assessing the outcomes. It added that its forces continue search operations in the area to locate the others.

The announcement came as the issue of Palestinians trapped in tunnels beneath Rafah remains unresolved. Hamas said in late 2025 it had held talks with mediators over allowing about 200 fighters from its armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, to exit a tunnel in Rafah safely, but Israel did not respond.

The matter remains stalled despite developments in the Gaza ceasefire agreement, including an announcement by US President Donald Trump that the second phase would begin in mid-January.

Hamas had not commented on the Israeli statement yet.

*Writing by Lina Altawell