GAZA/JERUSALEM - Nine people were killed and several others injured on Saturday by Israeli drone attacks in northern Gaza, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

WAFA said the drone attacked a group of citizens in Beit Lahia and bombed a vehicle, leading to the death of nine citizens, including two journalists.

The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza received the bodies of the victims and a number of injuries, some of whom were in serious condition, WAFA said.

Palestinian sources and eyewitnesses reported that the drone targeted a team from the Al-Khair Foundation, while it was carrying out a relief mission.

Among the dead were photojournalists, a media spokesperson, and a driver, according to workers at the foundation, an international Muslim aid non-governmental organization based in Britain and Türkiye.

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed its attack on Beit Lahia in a statement, saying the targeted were "terrorists," two of whom "operated a drone that posed a threat to IDF troops," and a few others "collected the drone operating equipment and entered a vehicle."

Earlier on Saturday, the IDF said in a separate statement that it struck three militants in the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza who allegedly attempted to plant explosive devices on the ground.

The IDF did not mention the physical condition of the three targeted.

So far, there have been no reports from authorities in Gaza regarding the attack in central Gaza.

Israeli forces have recently intensified airstrikes in Gaza amid uncertainty over the durability of a phased ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas in January. The first six-week phase of the deal expired on March 1, and negotiations on the second phase remain stalled.

The death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza since the start of the war on Oct 7, 2023, has topped 48,000, with more than 111,000 others injured, according to the latest data from the Gaza-based health authorities.

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Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy on Saturday issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations and international community, calling for pressure on the Israeli government to immediately stop using starvation and deprivation as tools of war against the Gaza Strip.

"We remind the entire world that Israel is refusing to allow the entry of basic health and humanitarian needs, especially water, electricity, and food, to the population in the Gaza Strip," the statement said.

It added, "This day comes at a time of exceptional circumstances that require the international community, with its various bodies, to uphold international laws that guarantee citizens' right to their basic needs and rights, especially during times of war."

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In a statement released on Friday, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office warned of the deteriorating humanitarian situation and the resurgence of famine due to Israel's continued closure of the crossings into the Strip for the 13th consecutive day.

Since March 2, following the expiration of the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, Israel has blocked aid shipments, including food, from entering Gaza.