Israeli strikes kill three people in Gaza as truce talks stall

CAIRO – Israeli strikes killed three Palestinians in Gaza on June 3, health officials said, and Palestinian militant group Hamas said that an end to such attacks was crucial to further talks on safeguarding a US-brokered ceasefire.

Medics said one Palestinian was killed in an air strike near the Mughraqa area in the central Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said it had struck a person acting suspiciously near forces operating in an Israeli-controlled area to remove the threat.

A separate Israeli air strike killed two brothers – Saqer and Moamen Khalil Abu Karim – in the courtyard of a house in the nearby Maghazi refugee camp, medics said.

Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the incident.

The ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump has failed to halt Israeli attacks in Gaza, and left Israel in control of over half the enclave following the conflict that began with Hamas attacks on southern Israel in October 2023.

Indirect talks on implementing the second phase of the deal, which includes the group’s disarmament and Israeli army withdrawals, are deadlocked.

Hamas must disarm: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asked in an interview with CNBC on June 3 about Hamas disarmament, said the group must disarm and that actions on that would be made with the US-led Board of Peace.

“Hamas has to disarm. That’s President Trump’s plan,” he said.

“We’ll have to discuss how we get them to do that. But one thing we make sure is they don’t have arms smuggled in to arm themselves. That’s number one. And number two ... they’re not able to launch the missiles at us,” Netanyahu said.

Sources close to the talks said further negotiations had been expected this week in Egypt, but Hamas denied it had sent delegates to Cairo.

A Hamas official told Reuters on June 3 that the group has been in daily contact with mediators and underlined the need for Israeli attacks in Gaza to stop.

“Israel has so far rejected ending its attacks; it continues to restrict aid and goods coming into Gaza and expand its occupation, in stark violation of the ceasefire agreement,” the official said.

Israel says its strikes are aimed at thwarting imminent attacks. It also says it allows aid and goods to flow into Gaza.

Some 930 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce began, according to figures from Gaza health officials that do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants during the same period, Israel’s military has said. REUTERS