Israeli strikes kill at least seven in Gaza as ceasefire tensions deepen
Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed at least seven Palestinians in separate attacks across the enclave, according to health officials and medics cited in the supplied material. The latest incidents were reported in Gaza City, Khan Younis and near Qarara, adding to a series of deadly strikes during the ongoing conflict. Among those killed was a local journalist, Mohammad Al-Najar, who died near a mosque in Khan Younis.
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In Gaza City, medics said an airstrike on an apartment killed one woman and wounded her husband and several others. Another strike on a vehicle in the Tel Al-Hawa neighbourhood killed at least four people and wounded 14 more, while a later strike near Qarara killed one person, bringing the day's death toll to at least seven. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the three latest strikes, but said the first strike targeted a Hamas militant who was planning attacks against its forces.
The attacks come as Israel has stepped up strikes on Hamas in recent weeks despite a ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas has denied trying to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal, and has accused Israel of undermining the peace deal. The supplied material says the ceasefire agreement brokered last year called for eventual reconstruction of the territory, but negotiators have not agreed terms on Hamas disarmament or an Israeli troop withdrawal.
The latest deaths add to the strain on Gaza's health system and underline how fragile the ceasefire process remains. According to the supplied material, at least 1,400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire, while Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed. The broader war has already caused very heavy losses, with more than 74,000 people reported killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 2023.
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The killing of a journalist also highlights the risks facing civilians and media workers in the territory, where strikes have continued across multiple locations. The supplied material does not say whether the dead or wounded were linked to any armed group, apart from Israel's claim about the first strike. It also does not indicate whether the latest attacks were part of a wider operation or separate incidents.
What remains unclear is whether the casualty toll will rise further as hospitals continue to assess the wounded. It is also not yet clear how the strikes will affect ceasefire talks or whether there will be an official response from Hamas or other mediators. The next developments to watch are any further casualty updates, military statements and signs of whether the current escalation will continue.
Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed at least seven Palestinians and wounded more than 10, according to witnesses, medical sources and local reports cited in the supplied material. The latest strikes hit multiple locations across the enclave, including a passenger van in Tal al-Hawa in southwest Gaza City and a residential apartment near al-Shifa Hospital. The incidents were reported on Wednesday as violence continued despite the nearly year-old ceasefire described in the source material.
The dead included six people killed in the drone strike on the van in Tal al-Hawa, while one woman was killed in the strike near al-Shifa Hospital, according to the supplied report. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its crews took 13 wounded people to al-Quds Hospital, and medical sources said some of the injuries were critical. The Gaza Ministry of Health said in its latest daily update that the bodies of at least nine people had arrived at hospitals in the previous 24 hours, including one woman who died from earlier wounds.
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The report also said four Palestinians, including two children, were wounded when a drone hit a shelter for displaced people in southern Gaza. Two other Palestinians were seriously wounded southeast of Deir el-Balah, while tank fire was also reported in southern Khan Younis. The source said the number of people killed since the start of the ceasefire in October last year has reached at least 1,431, with at least 5,026 wounded over the same period.
The strikes matter because they add to the strain on Gaza's already damaged health system and deepen uncertainty around the ceasefire process. The supplied report said doctors were finding it difficult to save the wounded because the health system has been decimated by years of attacks and the blockade. It also said the latest deaths came as the truce remained in place in name, but not in practice, according to the framing used in the report.
The incident follows a pattern of repeated attacks reported in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, with casualty figures continuing to rise. The earlier update in the developing story focused on the killing of a Hamas commander in Gaza City, and the new strikes show that violence is continuing across several parts of the territory. The supplied material does not say whether the latest attacks were linked to that earlier strike, or whether they were part of a broader military operation.
What remains unclear is whether the death toll from the Tal al-Hawa strike will rise further, and whether the wounded will recover. It is also not yet clear how the latest attacks will affect ceasefire talks or the wider security situation in Gaza. The next developments to watch are any further casualty updates from hospitals and any official response to the strikes.
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City have killed Izz al-Din al-Beik, whom Palestinian sources and Israeli officials described as the head of Hamas's armed wing in northern Gaza. The strike hit an apartment building in the city's Nasr neighbourhood early on Tuesday, according to medics and Hamas sources. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that the military had killed al-Beik.
Hamas also confirmed his death. The reports said al-Beik was killed in an air attack on a residential building, and that another person later died from wounds sustained in the same strike. Israeli officials said he had been involved in planning attacks and recruiting militants.
Palestinian medics said the attack took place around dawn, adding to the toll from a renewed wave of strikes in the enclave. The killing is the latest in a series of Israeli attacks on Hamas figures in Gaza. Israeli officials said the military has killed at least 20 Hamas figures this month, including people it identified as senior commanders and others linked to the 7 October 2023 attacks or the holding of Israeli hostages.
Hamas has denied trying to rebuild its arsenal or carry out attacks, and has accused Israel of undermining the ceasefire arrangement. The strike also comes against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire process that has yet to produce agreement on the next phase of the deal. Under the US-brokered arrangement agreed last year, the eventual reconstruction of Gaza was meant to follow, but negotiators have not reached terms on Hamas disarmament or an Israeli troop withdrawal.
Israeli airstrikes have continued despite the ceasefire, and the latest killing is likely to deepen tensions around those stalled talks. Al-Beik had reportedly taken command of the Qassam Brigades in northern Gaza during the war, after the death of senior commander Ahmed al-Ghandour. That detail places him among the more senior Hamas military figures targeted since the conflict escalated after the 7 October 2023 attacks in southern Israel.
The latest strike therefore carries both operational and symbolic weight for Israel's campaign against Hamas's military structure. The broader conflict has already produced heavy losses and repeated strikes across Gaza, with health officials in the territory saying more than 73,000 people have been killed since the war began. Israeli officials say Hamas has continued to rearm and launch attacks in violation of the ceasefire, while Palestinian authorities say Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,400 people in Gaza since the truce took effect.
The competing claims underline how contested the security situation remains, even as diplomatic efforts continue. What remains unclear is whether the killing of al-Beik will lead to further retaliation or affect the pace of negotiations over the ceasefire's next stage. It is also not yet clear how much operational disruption Hamas's northern Gaza command has suffered beyond the loss of this senior figure.
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City have killed Izz al-Din al-Beik, whom Palestinian sources and Israeli officials described as the head of Hamas's armed wing in northern Gaza. The strike hit an apartment building in the city's Nasr neighbourhood early on Tuesday, according to medics and Hamas sources. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that the military had killed al-Beik.
Hamas also confirmed his death. The reports said al-Beik was killed in an air attack on a residential building, and that another person later died from wounds sustained in the same strike. Israeli officials said he had been involved in planning attacks and recruiting militants.
Palestinian medics said the attack took place around dawn, adding to the toll from a renewed wave of strikes in the enclave. The killing is the latest in a series of Israeli attacks on Hamas figures in Gaza. Israeli officials said the military has killed at least 20 Hamas figures this month, including people it identified as senior commanders and others linked to the 7 October 2023 attacks or the holding of Israeli hostages.
Hamas has denied trying to rebuild its arsenal or carry out attacks, and has accused Israel of undermining the ceasefire arrangement. The strike also comes against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire process that has yet to produce agreement on the next phase of the deal. Under the US-brokered arrangement agreed last year, the eventual reconstruction of Gaza was meant to follow, but negotiators have not reached terms on Hamas disarmament or an Israeli troop withdrawal.
Israeli airstrikes have continued despite the ceasefire, and the latest killing is likely to deepen tensions around those stalled talks. Al-Beik had reportedly taken command of the Qassam Brigades in northern Gaza during the war, after the death of senior commander Ahmed al-Ghandour. That detail places him among the more senior Hamas military figures targeted since the conflict escalated after the 7 October 2023 attacks in southern Israel.
The latest strike therefore carries both operational and symbolic weight for Israel's campaign against Hamas's military structure. The broader conflict has already produced heavy losses and repeated strikes across Gaza, with health officials in the territory saying more than 73,000 people have been killed since the war began. Israeli officials say Hamas has continued to rearm and launch attacks in violation of the ceasefire, while Palestinian authorities say Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,400 people in Gaza since the truce took effect.
The competing claims underline how contested the security situation remains, even as diplomatic efforts continue. What remains unclear is whether the killing of al-Beik will lead to further retaliation or affect the pace of negotiations over the ceasefire's next stage. It is also not yet clear how much operational disruption Hamas's northern Gaza command has suffered beyond the loss of this senior figure.
The immediate focus will be on whether the strikes continue and whether mediators can keep the ceasefire process from collapsing further.
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