GAZA/JERUSALEM/PORTOROZ, Slovenia/UNITED NATIONS - Four Palestinians were killed and five others injured by Israeli fire in two separate incidents east of Gaza City on Monday, the Gaza Civil Defense Service said.

Mahmoud Basal, a Civil Defense spokesperson, told Xinhua that Israeli soldiers opened fire in the Al-Shaaf neighborhood in the morning, killing two people. Two others were later killed in the afternoon by a drone strike while inspecting their homes in the same area. The Israeli army has not commented on the incidents.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said Israel continues "its policy of violating the ceasefire agreement," adding that the group remains committed to all terms of the deal. He said Hamas is in contact with mediators over Israel's "continued violations" and urged pressure to ensure full implementation.

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said two Israeli soldiers were killed in a Hamas attack in Rafah, southern Gaza, involving an anti-tank missile and gunfire on troops dismantling infrastructure. Hamas denied involvement.

In response, the IDF carried out airstrikes and artillery shelling across Gaza, killing at least 44 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Since the ceasefire took effect, Gaza-based health authorities report 80 Palestinians killed and 303 injured, while civil defense teams have recovered 426 bodies. Overall, the death toll in Gaza since Oct 7, 2023, stands at 68,216, with 170,361 injured.

Body of hostage 

Also on Monday, Israel has received, via the Red Cross, the coffin of an unidentified Israeli hostage held in Gaza, the Prime Minister's Office said on Monday.

The statement said the coffin was handed over to the Israeli army and the Shin Bet domestic security agency inside Gaza and will be transferred to Israel.

The body will undergo identification at the National Center for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv, after which the family will be notified.

Israel estimates that 28 hostages have died in captivity. Hamas has previously returned 12 bodies. If the identity of the body returned on Monday is confirmed, 15 of the deceased would still remain in Gaza. 

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Humanitarian access

Leaders of nine Mediterranean and Southern European Union (MED9) member states on Monday called for the unrestricted delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza and urged renewed international efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region.

The leaders gathered in Portoroz, Slovenia, for the MED9 summit, which brings together France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Malta, Cyprus, and Slovenia. The meeting was also attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Collectively, these nine countries represent nearly 45 percent of the EU's population.

Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, who hosted the summit, said at a joint press conference that the MED9 countries welcomed the recent ceasefire in Gaza and supported the peace plan proposed by the United States.

"We all support the recent ceasefire and the peace initiative, but we hope to see the plan fully implemented in all its aspects, not just at the initial stage," Golob said.

He emphasized that humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach civilians without obstruction.

"There is absolutely no justification for blocking humanitarian aid. We fully expect the reopening of the Rafah and other border crossings to ensure the flow of aid into Gaza," he said.

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela said that the leaders were "cautiously optimistic" about the peace process, but added that "much more remains to be done to end the humanitarian crisis."

Representing Italy, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the strong turnout at the summit demonstrated a shared European commitment to peace.

"The fact that so many European countries are here today sending a message of peace shows that achieving peace is possible," Tajani said.

Meanwhile, the UN is encouraged that the fragile Gaza truce has resumed, after a burst of apparent weekend breaches, allowing humanitarian aid to resume, a spokesperson said on Monday.

"We are encouraged that the parties have reaffirmed their commitments to implementing the ceasefire in Gaza and commend the steadfast efforts of the mediators," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "We remain concerned by all acts of violence in Gaza and the reported attacks and strikes that took place yesterday."

Dujarric urged the parties to honor all their commitments, ensure the protection of civilians and avoid any actions that could lead to a renewal of hostilities and undermine humanitarian operations.

"We reiterate the Secretary-General's call for the release of the remains of all the deceased hostages," he added.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said its partners successfully resumed the distribution of food parcels to thousands of families in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis for the first time in months.

The office said that for the first time, Israeli authorities on Sunday allowed the United Nations to deploy monitors at the Kissufim crossing and that the office welcomes the development for the much-needed visibility into that segment of the humanitarian pipeline.

OCHA said UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher wrapped up his visit to the Gaza Strip over the weekend.

On Saturday, he visited a UN Children's Fund nutrition center and witnessed some road clearance projects run by the UN Development Programme.

Fletcher left the strip later on Saturday through the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing.

On Sunday, he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, where they discussed the massive humanitarian needs in Gaza, the 60-day aid scale-up scheme, the importance of sustaining the ceasefire, the situation in the West Bank and the path to long-term peace, said OCHA.

In Jerusalem on Monday, Fletcher met with the UN humanitarian country team of the occupied Palestinian territory, bringing together about 15 UN entities and representatives of some 200 international and local nongovernmental organizations.

Fletcher and the Minderoo Foundation of Australia announced a contribution of 10 million Australian dollars (about 6.5 million U.S. dollars) from the Minderoo Foundation for humanitarian efforts in Gaza, delivered in close coordination with the 60-day plan.

In the West Bank, OCHA said that between Oct 7 and 13, 71 settler attacks were documented, half of which were related to the current olive harvest season. The incidents, affecting Palestinians in 27 villages, included attacks on harvesters, theft of crops and harvesting equipment, and vandalism of olive trees, resulting in casualties and property damage.