Israeli strikes kill 11 in Gaza, including journalists
Israeli fire killed at least 11 Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, including three journalists and two children, according to Gaza health officials. The Israeli military said its forces had eliminated a militant who posed a threat to soldiers, as violence continued to disrupt a fragile ceasefire now in its third month.
Health authorities in Gaza reported that an Israeli airstrike hit a vehicle in central Gaza, killing three Palestinian journalists who were traveling on assignment. Local media said they were filming tent camps built for displaced families as part of Egypt’s humanitarian relief operations. An Egyptian security source confirmed the vehicle belonged to the Egyptian relief committee. Israel’s military had no immediate comment on the specific strike, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Additional fatalities were reported across the enclave. Medics said three people, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed by Israeli tank fire east of Deir al-Balah. In southern Gaza, two more people — a 13-year-old boy and a woman — were killed in separate shooting incidents in eastern Khan Younis. Other shootings elsewhere brought the total daily death toll to at least 11, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Residents said some of the incidents occurred in areas nominally under Palestinian control. While the ceasefire led to a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, Israeli troops still hold more than half of Gaza’s territory and have gradually expanded their presence in recent weeks, according to local accounts. The Israeli military said earlier it had killed a person who entered a restricted zone and posed an immediate threat to its forces.
The latest violence adds strain to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire reached in October, which has halted large-scale fighting but has not advanced beyond its initial phase. Under the first stage of the deal, Hamas released hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees, and Israeli forces pulled back from some areas. Future phases — including Hamas disarmament, further Israeli withdrawal and the establishment of an internationally supported administration to rebuild Gaza — remain unresolved, with no implementation timetable agreed.
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to preside over a ceremony this week linked to a proposed international body intended to oversee Gaza’s redevelopment. However, progress on the plan has stalled amid disputes between Israel and Hamas. Israel says it will only proceed to the next phase once Hamas returns the remains of the last Israeli hostage. Hamas officials say they have shared all available information but blame Israeli military activity for preventing recovery.
Since the ceasefire began, more than 460 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have reportedly been killed in continued clashes. The war began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people according to Israeli figures. Gaza health authorities say more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign in the territory.
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