Israeli Strike Kills 5, Including 2 Children, Near Gaza Shelter Camp: Civil Defence

GAZA CITY – An Israeli missile strike on Wednesday killed five people, including two children, in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the territory’s Civil Defence agency. The attack reportedly hit a tent camp sheltering displaced civilians near the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.

Mahmud Bassal, spokesperson for the Civil Defence agency, told journalists that the strike caused multiple injuries, some serious. Hospital sources confirmed that the dead included two children, aged eight and ten.

Israeli Military Responds
However, the Israeli military offered a different account. Israel confirmed an air strike in the southern Gaza Strip. They claimed they struck a Hamas terrorist in the Khan Younis area. This action was reportedly a response to a clash with Palestinian militants earlier in the day that had wounded five Israeli soldiers near Rafah.

The incident marks another escalation since the US-brokered ceasefire agreement came into effect on October 10. Consequently, both sides continue to trade accusations of violating the truce terms.

The Broader Context
Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict continues to generate severe casualties. Gaza’s health ministry reports that Israeli fire has killed at least 360 Palestinians since the ceasefire took hold, bringing the total death toll since the start of the conflict to over 70,000. The United Nations considers these figures reliable.