JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said Friday that its troops killed three Palestinian militants in separate incidents across the Gaza Strip, while Palestinian media reported two additional Palestinian deaths.
The Israeli military said in a statement that its troops from the Northern Brigade operating in northern Gaza on Thursday identified and killed a militant who crossed the so-called "Yellow Line," a demarcation marking Israeli-held territory under the first phase of the current ceasefire, and moved toward them.
In another incident overnight Friday, Israeli troops in southern Gaza killed a militant who similarly crossed the "Yellow Line" and approached them, the statement said.
The military added that troops from the 454th Brigade overnight struck and killed another militant in northern Gaza, accusing him of acting suspiciously near the "Yellow Line" and posing a threat.
Separately, a Palestinian was killed and some others injured on Friday evening after an Israeli drone targeted a group of people in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.
Another Palestinian was killed early Friday morning after being targeted by Israeli drone fire near the "Yellow Line" in the northwest of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, WAFA added.
Gaza-based health authorities on Thursday reported that Israeli attacks have killed 883 Palestinians and wounded 2,648 others since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025. The total toll since Oct. 7, 2023, has risen to 72,775 dead with 172,750 wounded.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian presidency welcomed a joint statement from the leaders of nine Western nations, including Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and the Netherlands, warning Israel against further settlement expansion in the West Bank.
The statement noted that settler violence has reached "unprecedented levels," undermining stability and prospects for a two-state solution.
The Palestinian presidency called the statement "an important step in the right direction" and urged concrete mechanisms to pressure Israel to halt its unilateral measures.
A recent UN report found that injuries from settler attacks have "sharply increased" in 2026, with about 490 Palestinians injured this year, almost equivalent to the annual totals recorded in 2023 and 2024. ■
