Israeli fire kills six-year-old girl and a woman in Gaza, medics say

An Israeli airstrike on a tent in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday killed two people including a six-year-old girl and wounded 17 other people, including children, Palestinian health officials said.

Medics said the Israeli airstrike on a tent encampment of displaced families in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave, had killed six-year-old Mennatallah Abu Libda and a 31-year-old woman, Hanan Mahmoud.

The attack was carried out by two helicopters, witnesses said.

The Israeli military told Reuters it had struck militants in the area but provided no further information.

An October ceasefire, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, has failed to halt Israeli attacks in Gaza, with Israel and Hamas deadlocked in indirect talks over implementing the second phase of the deal, which includes the militant group’s disarmament and Israeli army withdrawals.

The ceasefire left Israel in control of more than half of Gaza, with Hamas controlling a sliver of territory along the coast.

Some 900 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce came into effect, according to figures from Gaza health officials that do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants during the same period, the country’s military has said.

Hamas does not disclose figures for casualties among its fighters. Israel says its post-ceasefire strikes are aimed at preventing attacks or stopping people from approaching its armistice line with Hamas.

المصدر: Cyprus Mail