File photo: Israel strikes several targets in Gaza Strip
Three Palestinian children were martyred on Sunday by an Israeli airstrike near the eastern border of Gaza Strip, according to the Health Ministry.
"The ambulance crews transported bodies of three children aged between 12 and 14 from the site of the Israeli airstrike in the eastern region of southern Gaza," ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said in a statement.
The children were transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, Al-Qidra added.
The army claimed that "the children were trying to tamper with the security fence and apparently planted an explosive device".
For the last seven months, Palestinians in Gaza have been staging regular demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone to demand the right to return to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948.
They also demand an end to Israel’s 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its two million inhabitants of many basic commodities.
Since the rallies began on March 30, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred-- and thousands more injured -- by Israeli troops deployed along the other side of the buffer zone.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday met with an envoy dispatched by Sultan Qaboos of Oman in the West Bank city of Ramallah.The visit by Salim bin Habib al-Amiri came two days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a rare visit to Oman on Friday.During the meeting, al-Amiri delivered a message from the Omani ruler to the Palestinian leader, according to the official Wafa news agency.No information was available about the content of the message, but Wafa said Sultan Qaboos thanked Abbas for his recent visit to the Gulf country earlier this month.Abbas praised Omani support for the Palestinians and underlined his keenness to promote coordination between the two sides, Wafa said.Netanyahu’s visit to Oman was the second by an Israeli prime minister, the first having been made in 1994 by late Israeli Premier Yitzhak Rabin.In 1995, then Prime Minister Shimon Peres hosted Omani Foreign Minister Yousef bin Alawi in Jerusalem. Although Israel and Oman do not have diplomatic relations, the two countries agreed in 1996 to open commercial representation offices. Muscat, however, suspended relations again following the outbreak of the second Palestinian Intifada in 2000.Palestine slams new settlement homes in JerusalemGazan dies of wounds from Israeli fire
Palestinian leader meets Omani envoy in Ramallah
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned an Israeli plan to build 20,000 new settlement homes in a major settlement east of Jerusalem."The settlement project aims at separating East Jerusalem from its surroundings,” the ministry said in a statement.It said the settlement building “shuts the door to any plan to achieve peace on the basis of the two-state solution and thwarts any efforts to launch a real peace process".Earlier on Sunday, Israeli daily Yisrael Hayom (Israel Today) reported that the Ministry of Construction and Housing and the municipality of Ma'aleh Adumim signed an agreement to build some 20,000 housing units in the settlement.Gazan dies of wounds from Israeli fireThe project will be implemented once it is approved by the Israeli government, the newspaper said.Settlement construction has been a major obstacle to the already stalled peace process between Palestinians and Israelis.According to Palestinian figures, more than 700,000 Jewish settlers now live on 196 settlements (built with Israeli government approval) and more than 200 settler outposts (built without its approval) across the occupied West Bank. International law views the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied territories" and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity on the land to be illegal. 
Palestine slams new settlement homes in Jerusalem
The Gaza-based Islamic Jihad movement on Saturday announced an Egypt-brokered ceasefire with Israel, according to its spokesman.“We announce a ceasefire with Israel after Egyptian contacts with us,” Dawoud Shihab told Anadolu Agency.He said his movement “will be committed to the deal as long as Israel is committed to”.Late Friday, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, citing rocket fire from the blockaded Palestinian territory.Saturday’s deal came after at least six Palestinians were killed and dozens injured by Israeli army fire during anti-occupation protests along Gaza border.More than 200 Palestinians have been killed and thousands more injured by Israeli troops deployed near Gaza’s buffer zone since such rallies began on March 30.Palestinian killed by Israel fire near Gaza buffer zoneIsrael's Netanyahu made unpublicised visit to OmanIsraeli fire martyrs four, injures 31 Palestinians at Gaza buffer zone
Palestinian group announces Gaza ceasefire with Israel
Oman is offering ideas to help Israel and the Palestinians to come together but is not acting as mediator, Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, the sultanate’s minister responsible for foreign affairs said on Saturday.Oman relies on the United States and efforts by President Donald Trump in working towards this "deal of the century" (Middle East peace), Alawi bin Abdullah told a security summit in Bahrain a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Oman.Bahrain's foreign minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa voiced support for Oman over the sultanate's role in trying to secure Israeli-Palestinian peace, while Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said the kingdom believes the key to normalising relations with Israel was the peace process.Palestinian groups vow response to Israeli airstrikesNetanyahu's rare visit to Oman came days after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas paid a three-day visit to the Gulf country and also met Omani leader Sultan Qaboos.Netanyahu was accompanied on Friday by senior officials, including the head of the Mossad intelligence agency and his national security adviser.Bin Alawi said "Israel is a state present in the region, and we all understand this, the world is also aware of this fact and maybe it is time for Israel to be treated the same and also bear the same obligations."Palestinian youth killed by Israeli army gunfireIsrael strikes dozens of targets in Gaza Strip
Oman offers help in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts