Israeli strikes kill five in Gaza City as Israel accuses Hamas of rearming under ceasefire

Saturday's strikes followed a week of stepped up Israeli attacks across Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas of using the U.S. brokered ceasefire, now nearly a year old, to rebuild its military capabilities. Hamas denies the charge.

More than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the truce took effect, according to Gaza health officials, even as both sides accuse the other of violating the agreement. The Israeli military said Saturday's targets were militants, though the dead in the Panda Mall area included civilians caught in the strike, medics said.

The renewed bloodshed underscores how fragile the ceasefire has become. The truce, brokered by Washington last October, was meant to end the war that began with Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel. Instead, the past months have seen a grinding cycle of Israeli strikes, accusations of rearming, and mounting civilian deaths that both sides blame on the other.