Nine Palestinian civilians killed in Israeli attack, including seven children.

Nine Palestinian civilians, including women and children, were killed in an Israeli attack on a minibus in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, broke the eighth day of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in force for just over a week.

The attack

According to the Gaza Civil Defense, the victims were traveling on board a bus carrying evacuees. Mahmud Bassal, spokesperson for the Gaza Civil Defense, told the French press that rescue teams had recovered nine bodies following the attack.

Local sources cited by Al Jazeera instead speak of eleven deaths belonging to the same family, the Abu Shaaban, including seven children and three women. Israel claims that the affected vehicle had passed the so-called “yellow line”, the demarcation line that separates civilian areas from those controlled by Israeli forces and established as a safety zone during the ceasefire.

The Israeli army confirmed that it opened fire on a vehicle that entered a restricted area. Tel Aviv authorities say that The yellow line is clearly marked, but according to Palestinian sources many civilians do not know its exact locationHamas called the attack a massacre against unarmed displaced people and accused Israel of systematically violating the truce agreement.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Nazzal, a Hamas leader, He said in an interview with Reuters that the Islamist movement intends to maintain control of security in the Gaza Strip. for a transitional period and that cannot commit to disarming at this time.

According to the British agency, these statements reflect the difficulties of the United States and regional mediators in the consolidate the end of the conflict and outline a stable political framework for Gaza after the war.

Hostages and exchange operations

Meanwhile, Israel has received the body of Eliyahu “Churchill” Margalit, 75, one of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the early stages of the conflict. The finding was confirmed by theHostage Family Forum and by 'Office of the Israeli Prime Minister, who expressed condolences to the family.

The perspectives

Since the ceasefire began, Al Jazeera estimates that at least 28 people have been killed in targeted Israeli operations inside the Strip.Despite agreements to suspend hostilities, the Zeitoun incident has reopened the debate on civilian safety and the effectiveness of the control mechanism along the Yellow Line, while accusations continue to be exchanged and the fragile truce appears increasingly unstable.