Seven children among 23 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks

GAZA: Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 23 Palestinians, including seven children, in Gaza on Wednesday, health officials said. Among the dead was a medic who had rushed to help victims in Khan Younis before being hit by a second attack.

Other strikes hit Gaza City, where a five-month-old boy was killed. The attacks come days after Israel reopened Gaza’s main border crossing with Egypt, part of the October ceasefire under the U.S.-backed plan.

“While we were sleeping in our house, the tank shelled us and our children were martyred… We are peaceful people,” said Abu Mohamed Habouch at a funeral for his family.

Tents in Mawasi, near Khan Younis, were destroyed by the strikes, displacing many of Gaza’s more than two million residents.

The Israeli military said the attacks were in response to militants firing at Israeli troops near the armistice line. One strike targeted a senior Hamas commander. An Israeli soldier was severely injured in the incident.

Hamas condemned the attacks, saying they undermined the ceasefire, and called for “immediate international pressure to halt violations.”

Rafah Crossing Reopening

Palestinian patients preparing to cross into Egypt through Rafah were initially delayed, but authorities said they were on their way to the border. Israel cited security concerns, which were later resolved. Sixteen patients and 40 escorts crossed into Egypt on Tuesday, while at least 40 people returned from Egypt to Gaza.

The Rafah reopening was part of the October truce under U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to stabilise the region.

Ceasefire Violence Continues

Since the start of the ceasefire, Israeli fire has killed nearly 560 Palestinians, mostly civilians, while Palestinian militants have killed four Israeli soldiers. Israeli strikes on Saturday killed more than 30 Palestinians after gunmen emerged from a tunnel in a Gaza area under Israeli control.

Israel’s two-year offensive on Gaza killed over 71,000 Palestinians, displaced most of its population, and left much of the territory in ruins. The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack killed around 1,200 Israelis.

The fragile ceasefire continues to face near-daily violence as key issues, including Israeli withdrawal from occupied areas and Hamas disarmament, remain unresolved.