Israel strikes Gaza: 9 killed, including journalists; Hamas calls attack 'blatant violation' of ceasefire

Gaza’s civil defence agency has said that nine people, including several journalists, lost their lives in Israeli airstrikes on Saturday (March 15) in the northern town of Beit Lahia.

Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for the civil defence, told AFP, "Nine martyrs have been transferred (to hospital), including several journalists and a number of workers from the Al-Khair Charitable Organisation, as a result of the occupation targeting a vehicle with a drone in the town of Beit Lahia, coinciding with artillery shelling on the same area."

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement saying they had targeted individuals operating a drone that posed a threat to their troops in Beit Lahia. "Earlier today, two terrorists were identified who were operating a drone that posed a threat to IDF forces in the Beit Lahia area. The IDF attacked the terrorists. Subsequently, several additional terrorists collected the drone operating equipment in the attack area and entered the vehicle. The IDF attacked the terrorists," the statement read.

Hamas has condemned the Israeli strikes, calling them a "blatant violation" of the truce agreement.

"The occupation (Israel) has committed a horrific massacre in the northern Gaza Strip by targeting a group of journalists and humanitarian workers, in a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement," Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement.

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(With inputs from agencies)