Gaza schoolgirl killed on way to exam in Israeli strike despite ceasefire

Deiral-balah,UPDATED: Jun 23, 2026 02:48 IST

An Israeli strike killed a 16-year-old girl in Gaza City on Monday as she was walking to her high school to take an exam, according to her relatives. The Israeli military said the strike had targeted a Hamas militant, but added that it was aware of a claim that an "uninvolved individual was harmed".

The incident came as Israel continues to carry out strikes in Gaza despite a ceasefire deal reached in October. The military says it targets Hamas and other militants who pose a threat and has accused the group of violating the ceasefire, but civilians have also been killed.

Raghad Hassan Ashour, 16, was heading to her 11th grade test when the blast happened in a busy street in Gaza City's Rimal district, her relative Jameel Ashour said.

After her body was taken to Shifa Hospital, dozens of Palestinians, including Ashour's mother, gathered to mourn her. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said three other people were injured in strikes in the same area. Videos of the strike and its aftermath showed groups of people around two destroyed vehicles, with rescue workers at the scene and bloodstains visible on the ground.

Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians since the ceasefire was reached, the Gaza health ministry said last week. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the truce. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed 73,018 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, the health ministry said.

The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, is staffed by medical professionals and keeps detailed records that are generally considered reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities. The latest strike, which killed a schoolgirl on her way to an exam, underlined the continuing human cost of the conflict even after the ceasefire.

With PTI Inputs

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