Israeli army says four soldiers killed in Gaza operation

Four soldiers were killed and five were injured during an operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army said on Friday.

The incident occurred in the city of Khan Younis in the southern part of the coastal territory, the army said.

According to consistent reports from Israeli media, the soldiers entered a building that had been rigged with an explosive device. The device detonated, causing the building to collapse.

Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, more than 860 Israeli soldiers have been killed, according to Israeli figures.

The war was triggered by the attack on Israel by Hamas and other Islamist militants on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were abducted to the Gaza Strip.

According to the health authority controlled by Hamas, more than 54,600 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been killed as a result of the war so far.

Aid group says all distribution sites closed

Earlier on Friday, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US and Israeli-backed aid group, said it temporarily closed all of its aid distribution centres in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page on Friday, the GHF said the closures were made for safety reasons and urged residents to stay away from the facilities.

It did not specify how long the suspension would last.

The announcement comes as residents in Gaza mark Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice, traditionally celebrated with communal gatherings and festive meals.

Israel eased its blockade on aid deliveries into the besieged territory two weeks ago.

Since then, the GHF has taken over the distribution of supplies, operating outside of United Nations agencies and other international humanitarian efforts.

The organization has faced criticism for bypassing established aid networks, as well as for allegedly endangering civilians and breaching widely accepted standards of impartial humanitarian assistance.

But Israeli officials have defended the initiative, saying the GHF aim is to prevent Hamas from diverting aid for its own use in war-shattered Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued a warning to civilians in northern Gaza on Friday afternoon, urging them to evacuate ahead of an imminent military operation.

In a message posted in Arabic on X, the military advised residents in the affected area to immediately seek safety.

A map was included with the post, showing a designated attack area east of Jabalia, as well as the locations where civilians were advised to relocate.

According to the Israeli military, the planned strikes target sites from which rockets were recently launched.