Israeli gunfire resulted in the deaths of at least 11 Palestinians, including two children, during separate incidents in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, as reported by local health officials. These tragic events occurred amid escalating violence that is challenging a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
According to the Gaza Strip’s Interior Ministry, a strike targeting a police vehicle in Gaza City led to the deaths of four individuals, including a three-year-old boy named Yahya Al-Malahi. Additionally, a 14-year-old child, Ahmed Halawa, was killed by Israeli fire near Jabalia in the northern part of the enclave, confirmed by health authorities and his family.
Israel’s military has not yet commented on the incidents. At Al Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, grieving relatives gathered to bid farewell to the deceased. One father, Mukhlis Al-Malahi, recounted how he and his son were leaving a relative’s wedding when their group was hit by an Israeli airstrike on the police vehicle.
The tragic incident has sparked emotional responses from the victims’ families, with one cousin lamenting the loss of the young boy who should have been celebrating at a wedding but instead met a tragic end.
Later on the same day, an Israeli airstrike near a cafe in the Beach camp in western Gaza City resulted in at least five deaths and several injuries, as confirmed by health officials. Israeli military sources stated that the strike targeted a Hamas militant.
In a separate incident in northern Gaza, Israel’s military reported the killing of an armed man who approached the armistice line with Hamas. Health authorities acknowledged the fatality but did not provide further details.
Despite the ceasefire that began last October, tensions have persisted, with Israel intensifying its attacks on Hamas-led police and security forces. Hamas officials in Gaza have accused Israel of attempting to sow chaos and anarchy, while Israel maintains its actions are aimed at preventing attacks by Hamas and other militant groups.
Since the ceasefire agreement came into effect, over 750 Palestinians have lost their lives, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, while four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants, Israeli officials reported. Palestinians allege that Israeli forces have expanded the territory they occupy, a claim denied by Israeli authorities.