A deadly Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza has killed five people, including two young children, according to local civil defence officials, casting a shadow over a fragile US-brokered truce.
Strike Hits Tent Shelter Near Hospital
Gaza's civil defence agency reported to AFP on Wednesday that an Israeli missile struck the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis. The attack killed five citizens, including two children aged eight and ten, and wounded 32 others, some seriously. The agency's spokesperson, Mahmud Bassal, stated the strike occurred near the Kuwaiti field hospital and targeted a shelter camp, with a subsequent fire breaking out in a tent.
Conflicting Accounts of the Incident
The Israeli military offered a different account, stating its forces had targeted a 'Hamas terrorist' in southern Gaza. This action was described as a response to a clash with Palestinian militants in the area earlier on Wednesday, which left five Israeli soldiers wounded. During that operation in eastern Rafah, soldiers reportedly encountered militants emerging from underground infrastructure, resulting in one soldier severely injured and three others moderately injured.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on 10 October. Meanwhile, a security source in Gaza told AFP of heavy artillery shelling and gunfire from warplanes around 4pm local time.
Mounting Casualties and International Condemnation
The Gaza health ministry, whose figures are deemed reliable by the UN, states that at least 70,117 people have been killed in Israel's retaliatory assault, which was sparked by Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,221 people. Since the recent ceasefire began, the ministry reports 360 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire, while Israel reports three soldiers killed.
Also on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told Reuters there were 'strong reasons to believe' war crimes had been committed in Gaza. He criticised the military operation, stating, 'Gaza is destroyed, but Hamas is not yet destroyed. So there is something fundamentally wrong with the way this is conducted.' Israel's UN mission did not immediately respond to his remarks.
The fragile ceasefire has largely halted fighting, but this incident underscores the tense and volatile situation, with both sides trading accusations and the humanitarian toll continuing to rise.
