Israeli forces launched an attack on a tent housing displaced individuals in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of at least three Palestinians, including an 8-year-old boy and his grandfather, as confirmed by medical officials.
The drone strike, as reported by health authorities from the coastal enclave, targeted a neighborhood in Deir al-Balah, a town with minimal damage in central Gaza. The casualties identified were Hassan al-Hanagra and his 8-year-old grandson, Malik Abu Shawish, along with another male individual. Abu Shawish, who was visiting his mother’s tent during the strike, was wounded, and his mother was among seven others injured.
Israel’s military stated that the strike aimed at a militant figure but did not provide immediate details regarding his identity or whether he was eliminated.
On a separate incident in southern Gaza the day before, the Israeli military disclosed that Zaher Abu Salem was killed, describing him as a member of Islamic Jihad involved in the 2023 attack on Israel that instigated the conflict. Sunday’s strikes in Gaza resulted in the deaths of four individuals, including a 13-year-old girl named Eileen al-Farra, who succumbed to injuries from Israeli tank shelling.
Despite a decrease in intense hostilities following a ceasefire in October, Israeli forces have continued regular attacks, leading to the deaths of 1,045 Palestinians, including over 360 women and children, according to Gaza health officials. Israel claims its operations target militants, often citing planned assaults on its troops stationed in over 60% of Gaza. Since the ceasefire, five Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in militant actions.
The Gaza Health Ministry, under the Hamas-led government, maintains comprehensive records of casualties, deemed credible by UN bodies and experts. However, it does not differentiate between civilian and militant casualties.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli offensive actions in Gaza have resulted in more than 73,058 Palestinian fatalities, including recent casualties. The attack orchestrated by Hamas on Israel on October 7 claimed around 1,200 lives and led to 251 individuals being taken as hostages.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces conducted operations across the occupied West Bank, including in a vicinity near Ramallah where a 15-year-old from Jerusalem was fatally shot in the head, as reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry. Amir Jaber was rushed to the hospital after resuscitation efforts by emergency teams in the al-Bireh area. Additionally, two individuals sustained injuries in an Israeli raid near Hebron, the most populous city in the West Bank.
The Israeli military refrained from immediate comments on the incidents.
The raid near Ramallah, the administrative capital of the West Bank, was among several reported throughout the region by WAFA, the Palestinian news agency, on Monday. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that at least 59 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the West Bank this year.
