Gaza strikes kill eight including child despite ceasefire, hospitals say

Israeli military bombardments across the Gaza Strip have claimed the lives of at least eight people, including a young child, according to medical staff and local authorities. The deadly incidents occurred despite a formal truce remaining in place.

In northern Gaza, three individuals lost their lives after a missile struck near Cairo School in the Al-Rimal district of Gaza City, hospital officials stated. Among the deceased was a four-year-old boy. Footage outside Shifa Hospital showed mourners gathering in prayer around two body bags alongside the wrapped body of the young victim. A relative, Ali Oweis, told the AFP news agency that his son and grandchild were resting quietly in their tent when the projectile suddenly hit, questioning the reality of the ceasefire amid the continuing violence.

In a separate incident in southern Gaza, an unmanned aircraft struck the Al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis. Gaza's interior ministry reported that the attack killed five officers with the Hamas-run police service while they performed standard assignments. Authorities identified the officers, who ranged in age from 23 to 53, and condemned the incident as a massacre. Distress was visible at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where mourners gathered beside the victims' bodies.

The Israeli military acknowledged conducting two strikes targeting what it termed military operatives. However, armed forces representatives did not release further details or evidence regarding the operations.

Although an internationally brokered truce took effect in October of the previous year, air assaults have persisted on an almost daily basis. Gaza's health ministry reports that 1,580 people have been killed in the territory since that agreement took effect, data that United Nations officials view as dependable. While Israel maintains that its ongoing operations focus on Hamas militants, non-combatants continue to suffer fatalities.

Broader peace efforts overseen by the Trump administration have encountered significant gridlock. Under the initial framework of the ceasefire, the final 48 hostages held inside the enclave were exchanged for thousands of Palestinian detainees, alongside commitments to conclude hostilities.

The widespread conflict began following the Hamas-led cross-border operation into southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which roughly 1,200 individuals were killed and 251 people were seized as captives. Since the outbreak of fighting, the overall death toll in Gaza has reached 74,594, according to figures released by the local health ministry.