Israel strikes Gaza City launch site

Israel’s military said yesterday it had carried out a targeted strike on a rocket launch site near Gaza City after identifying a failed launch, as questions mount over when the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire will begin.

At least four Palestinians were killed om the strike. The military said the projectile did not cross into Israeli territory and that the launch site was struck shortly after the attempt was detected. 

It accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire twice in the past 24 hours. A source from the Palestinian group told Reuters it was checking the allegation.

Meanwhile, the UN’s beleaguered agency for Palestinian refugees said Wednesday that a “dire” financial crisis had this week forced it to fire hundreds of Gazan staff who had left the territory.

“On Tuesday, 571 local UNRWA staff, outside Gaza, were informed that they were being separated from the agency with immediate effect,” a spokesperson told AFP in an email.