Child killed in Israeli drone strike in al-Mawasi as Gaza attacks continue despite ceasefire
A 12-year-old child was killed in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, during an Israeli drone strike on Wednesday, according to health officials at Nasser Medical Complex. Several other Palestinians were wounded in the same attack, officials said. The strike hit an area that had been described by Israel as a safe zone, according to reporting from Gaza City.
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Health officials said the child was killed in a tent in al-Mawasi and identified him as Ahmed. At least seven Palestinians were injured in the same strike, according to the account relayed by medical staff. The attack came as Israeli forces continued operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank despite the ceasefire that took effect in October 2025.
Gaza's Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began have killed at least 1,027 people and injured 3,280 others. It also said the cumulative toll since the war began in October 2023 has reached 73,041 Palestinians killed and 173,402 wounded. The figures underline the scale of continuing violence even after the truce was announced.
The killing adds to growing concern over the protection of civilians, particularly children, in areas that were expected to be safer under the ceasefire. A United Nations commission of inquiry said a day earlier that the deliberate targeting of children formed part of what it described as Israel's ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The commission's chair said the evidence showed Palestinian children had been deliberately targeted and killed.
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The incident also highlights the continuing strain on Gaza's health system. Doctors have said victims of Israeli strikes are difficult to treat because medical supplies and medications remain restricted from entering the enclave. That has made it harder for hospitals and clinics to respond to repeated casualties, especially in the south where many displaced people have gathered.
It remains unclear whether the latest strike was part of a broader operation or a separate attack, and no independent casualty verification was provided in the available material. What is clear is that attacks have continued in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank despite the ceasefire, with officials reporting further deaths and injuries. The next developments to watch are whether there is any response from the parties to the truce and whether the casualty figures rise further.
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