Khan Younis, Palestinian territories. Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, including seven children, health officials said, in violence that has strained a nearly four-month-old ceasefire. Israel’s military said the strikes responded to Palestinian militants opening fire on Israeli troops near its armistice line with Hamas.
Deaths reported across Gaza
Health officials said a medic was killed after rushing to help victims of a strike in the southern city of Khan Younis and then being hit by a second attack on the same location.
Other strikes hit Gaza City in the north, where health officials said a 5-month-old boy was killed.
Strikes follow reopening of border crossing
The attacks came three days after Israel reopened Gaza’s main border crossing with Egypt, a step envisaged by the U.S.-backed truce deal.
Displacement and damage in Mawasi
Tents in Mawasi, a coastal area near Khan Younis crowded with displaced Gazans, were ripped apart by the strikes.
Nearly all of Gaza’s population of over 2 million were forced to flee their homes during the war.
Israeli military response and reported militant casualties
The Israeli military said an Israeli soldier was severely injured by the militant fire, which it described as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
In a subsequent statement, it said one of the Israeli strikes had targeted a senior Hamas commander.
Relatives said a commander from Islamic Jihad and his 11-year-old daughter were among those killed in strikes on Wednesday.
The Israeli military later confirmed it had killed an Islamic Jihad commander.
Hamas calls for international pressure
Hamas said Israel’s actions undermined efforts to stabilise the ceasefire and called for “immediate international pressure to halt violations.”
How do you think the latest violence will affect efforts to stabilise the ceasefire in Gaza?
