Israeli Strikes Reportedly Kill 17 in Gaza After Soldier Wounded

At least 17 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across northern and southern Gaza, according to local hospital officials.

The Israeli military said the strikes followed an incident in which gunfire from Palestinian militants seriously wounded a soldier during an operation near a boundary area in the northern part of the territory. The area lies close to a line marking zones of control under the current ceasefire arrangement.

In a statement, the military said ground forces and aircraft carried out what it described as targeted strikes in response to what it called a significant breach of the truce.

Medical officials in Gaza reported that several of those killed were children. Hospitals in Gaza City and Khan Younis said the fatalities occurred after areas sheltering displaced families were hit.

Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City said it received the bodies of 13 people, including five children, following strikes in the eastern neighbourhoods of Zeitoun and Tuffah. Tents and residential buildings were among the sites affected, according to hospital staff.

In the south, Nasser hospital in Khan Younis reported four deaths, including one child, after tents in the Qizan Rashwan area were struck.

Tensions have remained high despite a ceasefire that has been in place for several months. Both sides have accused each other of repeated violations since the agreement took effect.

Gaza’s health authorities say hundreds of people have been killed by Israeli fire during the truce period, while the Israeli military says several of its soldiers have died in attacks by Palestinian armed groups.

The current war began after an assault by Hamas-led fighters on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza in response. Health authorities in the territory say tens of thousands of people have been killed since the fighting began.