Israeli air strikes and tank shelling killed six Palestinians, including two young girls, in separate attacks in Gaza City and the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to local health officials. The incidents marked the deadliest violence reported in Gaza since the United States and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran about a week earlier. Medical authorities said several other civilians were also injured during the strikes. The attacks occurred near areas where displaced families were sheltering in crowded temporary camps.
Health officials in Gaza City reported that an Israeli air strike targeted an area near Al-Azhar University in the western part of the city. The attack killed three men, including paramedic Mohammad Hamduna, along with two others identified as Mohammad Abu Shedeq and Ahmed Lafi. According to medical staff at Al-Shifa Hospital, the strike landed close to tent camps housing displaced civilians. Several additional people suffered injuries as the explosion struck near the densely populated shelter areas.
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The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted two Hamas members who were allegedly preparing to attack Israeli soldiers. However, officials did not present public evidence supporting the claim or identifying the individuals involved. No militant organization has claimed the men killed in the strike as members. When asked for further details about the operation, the Israeli military did not immediately provide additional information regarding the alleged threat.
In a separate incident shortly after midnight, Israeli tank shelling struck a tent encampment in the western area of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Medical officials at Al-Awda Hospital said the attack killed three people, including two girls, and injured at least ten others. Several of the wounded were reported to be children who were sheltering in the camp with their families. The encampment houses many displaced residents who lost their homes during ongoing conflict.
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Although a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect last October through United States mediation, violence has continued on a near-daily basis. Both sides have frequently accused each other of violating the truce conditions. Gaza’s health ministry reported that at least 640 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began. Israeli authorities say four of their soldiers have been killed by militant attacks during the same period.
The Gaza conflict has caused extensive destruction across the territory after more than two years of intense fighting. Local health authorities report that over 72,000 Palestinians have died since the war began, leaving much of Gaza’s infrastructure severely damaged. The conflict started after Hamas launched a major attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Since then, the region has remained at the center of a prolonged and devastating war.