Israeli strikes and gunfire killed four Palestinians in Gaza, including a three-year-old child and an Al Jazeera journalist whom the military identified as a Hamas member. The violence occurred amid an October 2025 U.S.-backed ceasefire that has halted major fighting but failed to stop ongoing military operations.
Gaza City Vehicle Strike Kills Al Jazeera Journalist
An Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle along the coastal road in Gaza City, killing Al Jazeera journalist Muhammad Washah and another passenger. Gazan health authorities and the Qatari-backed television network confirmed the fatalities from the strike. The Hamas-run government media office condemned the killing, while the network reported through its Arabic-language channel that a drone carried out the attack.
The Israeli military previously accused Washah of belonging to Hamas in February 2024 at the height of the war, releasing computer-retrieved photos that it stated showed him operating weapons systems. Both Hamas and the network denied those earlier affiliations. The military did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the strike that killed him.
Central Gaza Raids Claim Young Lives
Additional strikes across the central territory added to the civilian death toll. An airstrike near a bakery in Deir Al-Balah killed Hussam Nusair and three-year-old Tayyem Hamdan, alongside several wounded bystanders. The military stated that the operation targeted a Hamas militant named Nusair, whom it alleged had advanced attacks against Israeli forces and civilians. Hamas did not immediately comment on that accusation.
Medics also reported separate incidents involving children across the enclave. A four-year-old boy and another individual died in separate airstrikes on a Bureij refugee camp house and a Khan Younis road. Meanwhile, Israeli forces operating east of Deir Al-Balah opened fire, killing a girl named Israa Al-Hissi and wounding two others.
Disputed Security Operations and Infrastructure Strikes
Military operations extended into Gaza City during a raid intended to detain a suspect. An Israeli-backed operation to detain the head of Hamas’ internal security service was detected by local fighters, prompting heavy airstrikes to cover the withdrawing forces. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated from the Netiv HaAsara community that the arrest aligned with government policy.
Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office, described an operation by special forces that triggered heavy missile fire near the Katiba area, killing two children and a woman. Witnesses reported at least 12 missiles hitting the western sector of the city, which is crowded with displaced families. Evacuation orders preceded strikes in Beach refugee camp and Deir Al-Balah, while a separate bombing targeted a site adjacent to a desalination facility in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood amid severe water shortages.
Ceasefire Strains and Escalation Warnings
The latest casualties underscore the fragile nature of the US-backed ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. While the agreement halted large-scale combat, it has not stopped targeted military strikes. Gazan health authorities report that more than 1,300 Palestinians have died since the truce began, while the military records four Israeli soldier fatalities over the same period.
Tensions rose further following reported cross-border launches of drones, balloons, and kites. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office warned that strikes would intensify if those launches did not stop immediately. Hamas officials dismissed the warnings, and negotiations regarding broader plans by U.S. President Donald Trump—which call for troop withdrawals and militant disarmament—continue as accusations of truce violations persist on both sides.
