Four individuals were killed by Israeli forces in Gaza City on October 20, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency. The incident occurred as the victims were returning to inspect their homes in the Al-Shaaf area, east of the Al-Tuffah neighborhood. Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the rescue service, confirmed the deaths, attributing them to Israeli gunfire. The rescue service operates under the authority of Hamas. Israel’s military stated that it had targeted militants who crossed the so-called ‘Yellow Line’ and approached troops in the Shujaiya neighborhood, adjacent to Al-Tuffah. The Yellow Line marks the boundary behind which Israeli troops remain stationed under the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. This incident is one of several since a fragile US-brokered ceasefire began on October 10, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting a total of 80 fatalities. On Sunday, the Israeli military struck dozens of Hamas positions across Gaza following the deaths of two soldiers in combat, accusing Hamas of violating the truce. Hamas denied any involvement in the attack, with one official accusing Israel of fabricating reasons to resume hostilities. Since the ceasefire began, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza, often finding their homes reduced to rubble.
