Israeli strikes kill at least four in Gaza, including child and health official's son

Palestinian health officials say Israeli fire and airstrikes have killed at least four people in separate incidents across central and northern Gaza. The deaths were reported on Saturday in Nuseirat camp, Jabalia and near Gaza City, according to Gaza health authorities and medical services. The incidents add to the continuing toll from the conflict in the territory.

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A statement from Gaza's health ministry said a 10-year-old girl died after succumbing to wounds sustained earlier in the day from Israeli army fire north of Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip. The ministry also said an airstrike killed Baseer al-Barsh, the son of Munir al-Barsh, who is the director-general of the health ministry, in an encampment for displaced people in Jabalia in northern Gaza. Munir al-Barsh said during his son's funeral that the killing was a continuation of what he described as Israel's crimes, according to the ministry statement.

In addition, two Palestinians were killed and several others injured in two separate strikes near Gaza City, according to al-Shifa hospital and Gaza's civil defence. The civil defence operates under Hamas authority and has been involved in rescue work during the war. The Israeli army did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the strikes.

The reports came from Gaza-side medical and rescue sources, and no independent casualty assessment was included in the supplied material. The latest deaths come against the backdrop of a war that has continued despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States in October last year. According to the supplied figures, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,300 people since that ceasefire was announced, while Israel says it is targeting Hamas and will not withdraw from Gaza until the group disarms.

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The conflict began after the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,221 people according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. The wider war has left most of Gaza in ruins and created repeated pressure on hospitals, rescue teams and displaced communities. The killing of the health ministry director-general's son is likely to resonate inside Gaza's medical system, which has been under severe strain throughout the conflict.

The separate strikes in central and northern Gaza also underline how violence continues across multiple parts of the territory rather than being confined to one front. What remains unclear is whether there will be any immediate military response or further confirmation from the Israeli side. It is also not clear whether the reported strikes are linked to a broader operational pattern or to separate local incidents.

Further updates would be needed to confirm the full casualty count, the condition of the injured and any change in the situation on the ground.

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