Israeli Airstrike in Southern Gaza Kills Five Amid Ceasefire Tensions

An Israeli airstrike west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza resulted in the deaths of five Palestinians, including two children, and left several others wounded, according to medical sources at the Kuwait Field Hospital. The strike targeted the al-Mawasi area, where many displaced individuals have sought refuge. Medical teams identified the deceased as two women aged 46 and 30, a 36-year-old man, and two boys, aged eight and ten. Additionally, 32 injured individuals received treatment at the hospital.

Rescue workers reported recovering the bodies from al-Najaat camp, a cluster of tents housing hundreds of displaced people in recent months. The Israeli military stated that the airstrike was in response to an earlier attack by Hamas militants that wounded five Israeli soldiers. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) asserted that Hamas violated the ceasefire agreement by attacking IDF troops in the Rafah area. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "respond accordingly" to the breach.

Eyewitnesses described the initial strike targeting a tent within the al-Mawasi displacement area, followed by explosions near the Kuwait hospital, causing panic among families sheltering nearby. Hamas condemned the Israeli action as "barbaric" and "indiscriminate," labeling it a violation of the ceasefire initiated on October 10.

The Israeli military launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages taken. Since then, over 70,100 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel's campaign, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.