At least five Palestinians, including a nine-year-old girl, were killed in separate Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to Palestinian health officials, as violence continued despite the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Medical authorities said Tala Abu Matar, 9, was killed after Israeli gunfire struck an encampment on the eastern outskirts of the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. The incident was among several reported attacks that claimed civilian lives during the day.
In a separate strike, an Israeli drone targeted a blacksmith’s workshop in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, killing at least four Palestinians and injuring another person. The casualties were transported to Al-Shifa Hospital, where medical officials confirmed the deaths.
The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out the strike in Gaza City, saying it had targeted what it described as “terrorist infrastructure.” It did not provide additional details regarding the operation or identify the intended target.
Additional Fatalities Reported
Health officials also reported that another Palestinian died from injuries sustained during Israeli gunfire near the Al-Bureij refugee camp on Friday.
Separately, a Palestinian wounded in an earlier Israeli drone strike east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, also died from those injuries, bringing the total number of reported fatalities from recent attacks higher.
Ceasefire Under Strain
The latest incidents come amid continued accusations that the ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas last October has been repeatedly violated.
Although large-scale ground combat has significantly declined since the agreement took effect, Israeli airstrikes and military operations have continued in various parts of the Gaza Strip.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 1,098 Palestinians have been killed and 3,535 others wounded during the ceasefire period as a result of continued Israeli military operations.
The ministry also said that since the start of the war in October 2023, the Palestinian death toll has reached 73,118.
Israel has not independently confirmed those figures. The health ministry in Gaza does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its overall casualty reports.
Expanding Military Presence
Palestinian officials also accuse Israel of expanding the territory under its military control during the ceasefire.
Last week, Gaza’s Government Media Office stated that Israeli forces now control approximately 80 percent of the Gaza Strip, extending beyond the area known as the “Yellow Line,” which marks the territory designated under the ceasefire arrangements.
Israeli authorities have not publicly commented on that assessment.
Negotiations Continue in Cairo
The latest violence coincided with renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at preserving the ceasefire and advancing negotiations toward a broader agreement.
Senior Hamas representatives were in Cairo for talks with Egyptian mediators on implementing the proposed second phase of a peace framework backed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, discussions have focused on issues including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from additional areas of Gaza and the future disarmament of Hamas.
Despite continued mediation efforts, officials involved in the talks said no significant breakthrough had been achieved.
The ongoing military operations and the absence of progress in negotiations continue to cast uncertainty over the future of the ceasefire and broader efforts to secure a lasting end to the conflict.
