3 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in Gaza

Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip and near Jerusalem on Thursday, according to Palestinian medical sources and eyewitnesses, reported Xinhua.

Witnesses and local sources said an Israeli drone fired at least one missile at a group of Palestinians near Abu Tamam School in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza. Mahmoud Basal, a Civil Defense spokesperson in Gaza, said two brothers were killed. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

Gaza health authorities said 766 people have been killed and 2,147 injured since a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. The overall death toll in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, has reached 72,345, with more than 172,250 wounded.

Separately, a 17-year-old Palestinian, identified as Mohammed Rayyan from the town of Beit Duqqu northwest of Jerusalem, was killed during clashes with Israeli forces, according to a statement from the Jerusalem Governorate.

The statement said Israeli forces raided the town, searched several homes and detained residents for field questioning. A previously released prisoner was also arrested. Another person was injured, and Israeli forces withheld Rayyan's body before withdrawing, it said.

Tensions have escalated in the West Bank in recent months amid the war in Gaza. Palestinian figures show more than 1,080 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023, most during Israeli raids or clashes.

Meanwhile, Palestinians on Thursday marked Palestinian Prisoners' Day with rallies and demonstrations across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, calling for the repeal of an Israeli law permitting the execution of Palestinian prisoners.

The annual commemoration was established in 1974 by the Palestinian National Council during its 12th session in Cairo.

Events were organized by Palestinian institutions and factions, with protests held in city centers and outside offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Participants raised Palestinian flags, held photos of detainees, and chanted slogans in solidarity with prisoners.

Abdullah Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, told Xinhua the occasion comes amid an escalation in Israeli measures against detainees, including alleged torture and medical neglect, as well as the passage of the execution law.

Hazem Qassem, a spokesperson for Hamas, said in a speech that Palestinian prisoners are facing deteriorating conditions, warning of the implications of the execution law and calling for increased public mobilization.

The protests follow the Israeli Knesset's approval in March of a law allowing the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of carrying out attacks that result in Israeli deaths.

According to a joint report by prisoners' rights organizations, the number of Palestinians in Israeli prisons has risen to over 9,600 since the Gaza conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, up from about 5,250 before the war.

The report said the detainees include 86 women and about 350 minors. It urged greater international involvement, including cooperation with the International Criminal Court and expanded access for the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit detainees.