Beit Lahiya, Gaza Strip. A 13-year-old boy was killed in an Israeli drone strike in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, health officials said, as residents reported a renewed pattern of Israeli warnings urging people to flee ahead of attacks. The warnings had largely subsided after an October ceasefire.
Incident in Beit Lahiya
Medics said the boy was killed and others wounded when an Israeli drone dropped a grenade in the town of Beit Lahiya. The Israeli military said it struck a person who it said had crossed its armistice line with Hamas and approached troops, adding that the person was part of a group that may have been attempting to place an explosive device in the area.
Israeli military statement and verification
“Following the incident, a report was received regarding a minor who was harmed,” the military said, adding that an inquiry indicated the minor was with the person its troops had struck. Reuters was not able to independently corroborate either account.
Ceasefire and ongoing violence
The October ceasefire, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, has failed to halt Israeli attacks in Gaza, with Israel and Hamas deadlocked in indirect talks over the militant group’s disarmament. The ceasefire left Israel in control of more than half of Gaza, with Hamas controlling a sliver of territory along the coast.
Casualty figures and stated aims
Some 880 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce came into effect, according to figures from Gaza health officials that do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Four Israeli soldiers were killed by militants during the same period, according to the Israeli military. Hamas does not disclose figures for casualties among its fighters. Israel says its post-ceasefire strikes are aimed at preventing attacks or stopping people from approaching its armistice line with Hamas.
Reports of renewed evacuation warnings
Gaza residents said Israeli forces have in recent days resumed issuing evacuation orders ahead of strikes. Witnesses reported at least three such warnings in the past two days, targeting two homes and a tent encampment.
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