Israeli fire kills two in Gaza, as truce deal moves to next phase

Israeli fire killed at least two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, health officials said, in the latest incident of violence, as Hamas and Israel braced to implement the second phase of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal.

Medics said two men were killed by Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis, in an area adjacent to where the army operates. The Israeli military didn't make an immediate comment.

The Gaza health ministry said Israeli fire has killed at least 490 people since the truce began in October in the war-shattered enclave.

Israel said four soldiers were killed by militants in Gaza over the same period. The two sides have traded blame over the truce violations.

By advancing to phase two, the United States and its mediator partners must confront the more contentious issue of Hamas disarmament, which the group has long rejected. The plan also calls for deploying an international peacekeeping force.