CAIRO: Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed at least nine people and wounded several others, local health authorities said on Saturday (Nov 22), in a further test of a fragile ceasefire between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel. Witnesses and medics said the first attack hit a car in the densely populated Rimal neighbourhood, setting it ablaze. It was not immediately clear whether the five dead were passengers of the car or included passersby. Dozens of people rushed to extinguish the fire and rescue the victims. Shortly after the attack on the car, the Israeli air force carried two separate airstrikes on two houses in Deir Al-Balah city and Nuseirat camp, in the central Gaza Strip, killing at least four people and wounding several others, medics said.The Israeli military said a gunman had crossed into Israeli-held territory in Gaza and exploited "the humanitarian road in the area through which humanitarian aid enters southern Gaza", calling it a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.Palestinians inspect the damage to a house targeted by an Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Nov 22, 2025. (Photo: AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)The military said it was striking targets in Gaza in response.A Hamas official in Gaza rejected the Israeli military's allegations as baseless and an "excuse to kill", saying the group was committed to the ceasefire agreement.Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of violating the truce, concluded more than six weeks ago. Hamas said in a statement earlier in the day that Israel's "escalating violations" put a responsibility on mediators and the US to confront it and preserve the ceasefire. The Oct 10 ceasefire in the two-year Gaza war has eased the conflict, enabling hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to Gaza's ruins.Israel has pulled troops back from city positions, and aid flows have increased.Israel launches fresh strikes on Gaza, Qatar warns of escalationSingapore welcomes UN Security Council’s endorsement of Gaza peace planCommentary: Gaza ceasefire - the difficult part comes after hostage exchangeBut violence has not completely halted. Hamas has been seeking to reassert itself and some are concerned about a de facto partition of the territory, where conditions are dire. Palestinian health authorities say Israeli forces have killed 316 people in strikes in Gaza since the truce.Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began and it has attacked scores of fighters. The war in Gaza began after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and seized 251 hostages in an attack on southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 69,700 Palestinians, most of them civilians, health officials in Gaza say.Under the terms of the truce, Hamas released all 20 living hostages held in Gaza in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and wartime detainees held by Israel.Hamas also agreed to hand over the remains of 28 dead hostages in exchange for the bodies of 360 Palestinian militants killed in the war. The remains of 25 hostages have so far been handed over.Israel has returned 330 bodies of Palestinians, according to the territory's health ministry.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin here