Gaza Strikes Kill 4, Including 2 Children, a Week After US Urged Israel to Curb Attacks

Israeli airstrikes and tank fire killed at least four people in Gaza on Monday, including two children, according to hospital officials. The casualties occurred just one week after a U.S. delegation pressed Israel to scale back its military operations in the territory.

After receiving evacuation warnings from the Israeli military, one family in the Bureij refugee camp could not escape a strike, resulting in the death of a 4-year-old child and injuries to his mother and sister. The Israeli military stated it conducted strikes in the Shati refugee camp and Deir al-Balah, targeting what it described as Hamas weapons storage facilities within mosques, though it provided no immediate evidence.

Further strikes in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis resulted in additional fatalities, including a 10-year-old girl killed by Israeli tank fire east of Khan Younis. The Israeli military stated it was unaware of the incident involving the child. These operations continue despite U.S. calls for de-escalation, made during a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner.

While the heaviest fighting has decreased since the October ceasefire, Gaza's health ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, reports that at least 1,288 Palestinians have been killed. The ministry's casualty records are generally considered reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Israel maintains its strikes are in response to ceasefire violations, reporting five Israeli soldiers killed since October.