CAIRO — Egyptian and Qatari mediators urged Israel and Hamas on Tuesday to maintain their ceasefire after fresh Israeli strikes killed Palestinians in Gaza, including a child, according to Egypt's State Information Service. The renewed violence deepened doubts about the truce.

Health authorities in Gaza said the latest deaths occurred in central and southern areas of the enclave. Israel's military said its forces had responded to what it described as threats near its positions, a claim disputed by Palestinian medical staff on the ground.

The ceasefire, brokered with United States backing earlier this year, has been marked by repeated reports of Israeli fire despite the formal cessation of hostilities. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned that continued casualties threaten aid deliveries and the safe return of displaced residents.

A spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said mediators were in contact with both parties to prevent an unravelling of the agreement. Hamas accused Israel of violating the truce, while Israeli officials said they retained the right to act against perceived security threats.

Aid agencies including the World Food Programme have said sustained calm is essential to scale up food and medical supplies into the enclave, where hundreds of thousands remain reliant on humanitarian assistance.