Israeli gunfire killed at least 11 Palestinians, including children and journalists, in separate incidents across Gaza on Wednesday, local medical sources said, dealing another blow to a fragile ceasefire that has been in place for about three months in the conflict-hit territory. Palestinian health officials said an Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian journalists who were travelling in a vehicle while on assignment to film a displaced persons camp in central Gaza. In a separate incident in the same area, Israeli tank shelling killed three people, including a 10-year-old boy. Medics also reported that two others, among them a 13-year-old boy, were killed in separate Israeli shooting incidents in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Further Israeli strikes across the enclave pushed the total number of deaths for the day to at least 11, according to the Gaza health ministry.Reacting to the deaths of the journalists, the Israeli military said its forces identified what it described as “several suspects operating a drone linked to Hamas” in central Gaza and carried out a targeted strike, citing a perceived threat to its troops. The military did not immediately comment on the other reported incidents.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said the journalists who were killed were carrying out a humanitarian and professional assignment to document the conditions of civilians living in displacement camps.The syndicate did not confirm whether a drone was in use. Local journalists said the assignment was sponsored by the Egyptian committee coordinating Egypt’s relief efforts in Gaza, a claim partially supported by an Egyptian security source who said the vehicle involved belonged to the committee.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said it has documented the deaths of 206 journalists and media workers in Gaza since the war began, adding that Israel has not released findings from any formal investigations or held anyone accountable.The Israeli military maintains that its operations are directed solely at combatants and military targets. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate places the number of journalists killed at more than 260.
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of repeatedly breaching the ceasefire agreed to in October, following two years of fighting that devastated Gaza and triggered a deep humanitarian crisis. Disputes continue over the next steps in a 20-point peace proposal put forward by US President Donald Trump, which has yet to move beyond its initial phase. Under the first stage of the truce, large-scale fighting stopped, some Israeli forces pulled back, and Hamas released hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees and prisoners. Later stages are expected to involve Hamas disarmament, further Israeli withdrawals, and the establishment of an internationally supported administration to oversee reconstruction in the densely populated enclave, though no timeline has been announced.
Since the ceasefire began, more than 460 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have reportedly been killed in clashes. Israel launched its air and ground offensive in Gaza after a Hamas-led cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, which Israeli authorities say killed 1,200 people.Gaza health officials say at least 71,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war.
Source: https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/
