Three Palestinians were shot and killed by Israeli forces on Sunday, with the army claiming it had fired "warning shots," hitting Palestinians who had approached troops stationed in Gaza, the enclave's Civil Defense announced via its spokesperson Mahmud Bassal. The Israeli army refused to say if the victims were armed.

The killings come as Israel and Hamas are entering the fourth week of their cease-fire agreement and as the Israeli negotiating team arrives in Doha to launch talks on the deal's second phase. The first phase, which has so far included five hostage exchanges, expires on Feb. 28.

Bassal said there were "three martyrs and several injured as a result of Israeli occupation forces opening fire on civilians in the eastern areas of Gaza City," in northern Gaza, and urged residents to avoid this area and any Israeli military positions. Haaretz reports that one of the victims was an elderly woman.

An agricultural worker from the Israeli village of Nahal Oz, in the Gaza envelope, reportedly filmed a video showing many Palestinians nearing the border fence in the area where the shootings took place. The Israeli army had withdrawn from the so-called Netzvarim Corridor that bisects the Strip and more Palestinians were free to return to their homes in the North.

According to a Haaretz report, Israelis living the border villages became concerned for their safety. It's not clear whether their concerns are were relayed to the Israeli army and are related to the killing of the three Palestinians.

The Otef Israel Forum, representing hundreds of residents in these villages, demanded stricter security measures, the Israeli Ynet news outlet reported. “Is this what real security looks like? We warned about this two weeks ago,” the group said in a statement, referencing a letter sent to Defense Minister Israel Katz.

The forum called for a more aggressive approach, urging the Israeli government to declare the buffer zone a "dead zone" with a zero-tolerance policy toward anyone entering the zone.

Israel's military acknowledged that its forces had fired at individuals who approached their positions, saying, "troops advanced military vehicles and fired warning shots toward the suspects. Several hits were identified after the shots were fired, and those approaching the barrier retreated."

In military terms, a warning shot is supposed to be intentionally harmless — not fired directly at the target — with the aim of forcing them to follow a particular order.

Katz threatened Palestinians in a statement addressing the incident and cited by Haaretz, saying that "Israel's security policy on Gaza is clear. All those who enter the buffer zone: blood on their heads."

The Israeli army, Katz said, "acted appropriately in identifying threats and dealing with them, and it will be that way in the future."