Israeli strike on Gaza tent kills child despite ceasefire

Deiral-balah,UPDATED: Jun 29, 2026 15:34 IST

An Israeli airstrike killed at least three Palestinians, including an eight-year-old child, after hitting a tent sheltering displaced people in the Gaza Strip on Monday. Israel said the strike targeted a militant.

Health authorities in Gaza said the strike hit a neighbourhood in Deir al-Balah, one of the least damaged towns in central Gaza. Israel's military said the target was Zaher Abu Salem, whom it identified as a member of Islamic Jihad involved in the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said those killed were two men and the child, while another man was wounded. The strike came despite a ceasefire that has been in place since October, with Israeli forces continuing to carry out repeated airstrikes.

According to health officials in Gaza, 1,045 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect. Israel has announced a series of strikes targeting militants, including three over the weekend. The Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, keeps detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts, though it does not separate civilians from militants.

Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire. The 7 October attack by militants on Israel killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, while Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,058 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

The latest strike in Deir al-Balah killed three people, including a child, and wounded another, as Israeli airstrikes continued in Gaza despite the ceasefire and both sides' reported losses since the war began.

With PTI Inputs

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