DUBAI, March 12. /TASS/. At least 137 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement went into effect on January 19, Al Mayadeen reported, citing the enclave's press service.
"The number of victims killed since the ceasefire went into effect on January 19 has reached 137, including 52 people in the city of Rafah," the channel quoted Salama Maarouf, the head of Gaza's Government Media Office, as saying.
In mid-January, Israel and Hamas reached an Egypt-, Qatar-, and US-brokered three-stage agreement to release the hostages held in Gaza and declare a ceasefire in the enclave. The three-phase deal took effect on January 19. The initial 42-day phase of the ceasefire ended on March 1. The next day, Israel blocked humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza and closed all crossings due to Hamas' refusal to accept US Presidential Special Envoy Steven Witkoff's plan to continue negotiations for a ceasefire.