An Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip resulted in multiple casualties on Wednesday, with local authorities reporting five fatalities, including two young children.
The strike occurred in the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis. According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, the attack also left a number of others wounded, some with serious injuries. A nearby field hospital confirmed the deaths of the two children, aged eight and ten, and reported treating 32 people for wounds sustained in the incident.
The Israeli military stated the operation targeted a “Hamas terrorist” in southern Gaza. This action was described as a response to an earlier clash in the area between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants, which left several Israeli soldiers wounded.
A ceasefire agreement, mediated by the United States and active since early October, has largely paused major hostilities. However, this latest violence underscores ongoing tensions, with each side accusing the other of breaching the truce. Israeli officials asserted that soldiers had encountered militants emerging from underground structures prior to the airstrike.
The conflict, which began with a major cross-border attack by Hamas militants in October 2023, has resulted in a significant loss of life. Health authorities in Gaza report tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties since the war’s onset. While the ceasefire has reduced the scale of fighting, sporadic violence continues, with Palestinian sources reporting hundreds of deaths since the truce began.