Over 500 killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza since ceasefire began

Authorities in the Gaza Strip say more than 500 people have died in Israeli attacks since a ceasefire began in October.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect last year as the first phase of a peace plan.

However, Israel has carried out strikes intermittently, accusing Hamas of violating the agreement. On Saturday, the Israeli military said it had struck a weapons storage facility and other Hamas targets across Gaza.

Palestinian media say 31 people were killed in northern and southern parts of the enclave when buildings and tents sheltering residents came under attack.

Health authorities in Gaza said on Saturday that the death toll since the start of the ceasefire had reached 509.

Hamas released a statement condemning Israel for a "brutal crime" and a "flagrant violation" of the ceasefire agreement.

The United States last month announced the transition to the second phase of the peace plan, which aims to move toward demilitarization and reconstruction.

The Board of Peace, a body chaired by US President Donald Trump, was launched to oversee the transitional governance of Gaza. But the number of deaths is on the rise amid continuing Israeli strikes.

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