Israel says killed three in Gaza in overnight strikes

The Israeli military said on Friday it launched overnight strikes at "eight terrorists" in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, killing three of them, with a fragile ceasefire still in place in the Palestinian territory.

In a statement, the military said it had identified "eight terrorists" who emerged from underground and that the air force "struck and eliminated three of the terrorists".

It said that further strikes were launched and added that "soldiers continue to conduct searches in the area in order to locate and eliminate all the terrorists".

Rafah is the location of a crossing to Egypt, the only passage between the Gaza Strip and the outside world that doesn't lead to Israel, and a vital conduit for aid whose reopening is expected as part of the ceasefire deal.

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, which sought to halt the fighting between Israel and Hamas sparked by the October, 2023 attack has been in place for more than three months despite both sides accusing the other of repeated violations.

Earlier in January, Washington announced that the ceasefire had progressed to its second phase, intended to bring a definitive end to the war.

The Israeli military said its forces "remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat".