Israeli drone strike in Gaza City kills three Palestinians

At least three Palestinians were killed and several others wounded when an Israeli drone struck a vehicle near the Abu Khadra Mosque in the Rimal neighborhood of western Gaza City, according to medical sources.

Al Jazeera correspondent Hind Khoudary reported from Gaza City that Thursday’s attack was the first explosion in the area after several days of 'calm and quiet.' 'Minutes after the attack, locals said the target was a jeep driven by civilians,' Khoudary said. 'Only one of the three victims has been identified: Abdul Jawad Abu Lebn, who was scheduled to be married next week. Wedding invitations were found inside the car.'

Also on Thursday, Israeli fire wounded a fisherman off the coast of Gaza and a man near Khan Younis in the south, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. A young girl was also killed in Israeli gunfire at Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, according to Al Jazeera reporters at the scene.

The latest deadly attacks come despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced in October last year. Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 1,007 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect, bringing the total death toll in the strip to 73,018 since October 7, 2023.

Peace Council’s plan for Gaza reconstruction

The National Committee for the Management of Gaza (NCAG) said on Thursday that it has finalized recovery and reconstruction priorities, ready to proceed with field operations 'when conditions allow.' NCAG, made up of independent Palestinian technical experts, issued the statement after a coordination meeting in Cairo with British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction priorities. 'The meeting reviewed the committee’s vision for the next phase, including support for the health sector, infrastructure rehabilitation, and stimulating the local economy,' the committee said in a statement.

NCAG is overseen by the Peace Council, which includes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner – son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump – and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. However, reconstruction prospects remain uncertain as Israel continues to expand territory under its military control inside Gaza. The Israeli military now controls approximately 64% of the Gaza Strip, up from the 53% expected under the ceasefire agreement, according to maps shared with aid organizations in March.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) said Israeli forces have pushed the 'Yellow Line' – the boundary marking areas under Israeli military control where Palestinians risk being shot if they enter – deeper inside Gaza City. According to the rights group, the Israeli army recently shifted the boundary in the Tuffah neighborhood of eastern Gaza City, forcing dozens of residents to leave their homes. The warning came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to expand control of Gaza to 70% of the territory, according to reports from Israeli media, raising concerns among Palestinian and human rights groups that the expansion of military-controlled zones could amount to ethnic cleansing.

Eight nations condemn West Bank mosque attacks

As Israeli attacks continue in Gaza, violence also persists in the occupied West Bank. In a joint statement on Thursday, eight nations condemned what they called an escalation in Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, following attacks on mosques north of Ramallah.

The foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey condemned recent attacks on the Grand Mosque in Jiljilya and the Farouk Mosque in the Nubani area. The ministers said the attacks were a clear violation of 'the sanctity of places of worship and religious sites' as well as 'international law, including international humanitarian law, and relevant United Nations resolutions.'

The statement came after Israeli settlers allegedly set fire to part of the Grand Mosque in Jiljilya on Tuesday and spray-painted racist Hebrew slogans on its walls. Palestinian officials also said the Israeli authorities issued demolition orders for nine occupied homes in the town of ash-Shuyukh, northeast of Hebron, according to Wafa. This comes amid a rise in Israeli settler attacks, expansion of existing settlements, and establishment of new outposts across the occupied West Bank.