Israeli army kills 3 Palestinians, expands occupied area in Gaza despite ceasefire

The Israeli army killed three Palestinians and injured two others in artillery shelling east of Gaza City on Saturday, while expanding the area under its occupation east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, according to medical and local sources.

Medical sources at Al-Shifa and Al-Ahli Baptist hospitals said they received the bodies of three Palestinians and two injured people after Israeli artillery shelling near the Dawla roundabout in the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.

Later Saturday, dozens of Palestinian families fled the Dawla area south of Zeitoun after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning by calling a local resident, local sources told Anadolu.

The evacuation order came ahead of what the army claimed would be a “limited” military operation.

Families left their tents and the remains of their homes in an area that includes the Abu Marahil and Dar al-Salam displacement camps and nearby areas west of Salah al-Din Street.

In the central Gaza Strip, the Israeli army expanded the territory under its occupation east of Deir al-Balah early Saturday.

Local sources and witnesses told Anadolu that Israeli military vehicles, supported by a bulldozer, advanced dozens of meters near the Abu Miri roundabout under heavy gunfire and artillery shelling.

The forces moved concrete blocks marking the so-called “yellow line” approximately 100 meters westward before withdrawing, witnesses said.

By morning, dozens of families living in the area found that the blocks had been placed west of their homes, effectively putting the properties within the zone controlled by the Israeli army.

The “yellow line” is a security boundary imposed by Israel inside Gaza, with Palestinians barred from approaching areas near it. The zone encompasses more than 70% of the enclave.

Israel continued to violate the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli ceasefire violations have killed more than 1,144 Palestinians and injured 3,703 others as of Friday.

The ministry says Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since October 2023 has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 173,000, while causing widespread destruction to about 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure.