At least 20 Palestinians, including several children and a paramedic, have been killed and nearly 40 others wounded in Israeli strikes in Gaza, according to hospital sources.
The Israeli military stated that tanks and aircraft executed precise strikes against what it termed terrorists who had opened fire on troops in northern Gaza, resulting in a severe injury to an officer.
This incident occurred near the Yellow Line, a boundary beyond which Israeli forces are stationed, and was described by the military as a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas established three months prior.
Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza, has accused Israel of using the shooting as a flimsy pretext to justify the ongoing violence against Palestinian civilians.
During the attack, Al-Shifa Hospital reported receiving the bodies of 13 individuals—five of whom were children—who died when airstrikes struck tents and homes in the eastern Zeitoun and Tuffah neighborhoods.
Among the mourners at the hospital was Abu Mohammed Haboush, whose family was asleep in their home when it was targeted. Describing the tragedy, he expressed, Our children were martyred—my son was martyred, my brother's son and daughter were martyred.
In Khan Younis, Nasser Hospital recorded four fatalities, including one child, following strikes on tents in the southern Qizan Rashwan area. Additionally, two sisters, Rahaf and Remas Abu Jamea, and paramedic Hussein al-Samiri were killed while responding to the scene of a previous attack in the coastal al-Mawasi area.
Jihad al-Hinnawi, a first responder, recounted that Samiri was killed by a second strike while attempting to assist the victims of the initial bombing.
The Palestinian Red Crescent condemned the killing of Samiri, labeling it a grave violation of international humanitarian law. The International Committee of the Red Cross expressed outrage over the ongoing risks faced by first responders in Gaza, emphasizing the necessity for their protection during humanitarian missions.
The IDF asserted that the airstrike in al-Mawasi targeted a Hamas military leader linked to prior attacks, claiming they took precautions to avoid civilian casualties.
Both Israeli and Hamas officials have accused one another of violating the ceasefire while deaths on either side continue to mount. The situation escalated following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October 2023, leading Israel to initiate a military campaign that has reportedly resulted in significant casualties, including over 71,000 Palestinian deaths.
