At least eight people have been killed in two Israeli strikes in Gaza, according to hospital officials and the Hamas-run authorities, despite a ceasefire that began in October last year.
In Gaza City, hospital officials said a missile struck civilians near Cairo School in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood. Three people died in the attack, including a four-year-old boy.
In Khan Younis, the Hamas-run interior ministry said a drone strike hit five police officers in the Al-Mawasi area while they were carrying out routine duties. The ministry identified the victims, who were aged between 23 and 53, and described the attack as a “horrific massacre”.
The Israeli military said it had carried out two strikes against what it called military operatives, but it did not provide evidence or further details.
Video from outside Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital showed people praying beside two body bags and the child’s body, wrapped in a white towel. At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, footage showed women mourning as body bags lay on the floor.
Ali Oweis, who spoke to AFP, said his son and grandson had been killed while sitting in their tent. He said the incident showed that the war was continuing despite the ceasefire.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, 1,580 people have been killed since the ceasefire began. The ministry says 74,594 people have died in Gaza since the war started.
The ceasefire agreement included the release of thousands of Palestinians held by Israel in exchange for the release of all 48 remaining hostages held in Gaza, alongside an agreement to end the war. A Gaza peace plan brokered by the Trump administration has since stalled.
The conflict began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
Sources: BBC News World.