Israeli fire kills two young children in Gaza, medics say

Israeli airstrikes and gunfire resulted in the deaths of two young children and at least two other Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Monday, health officials in the territory reported. The incidents occurred amidst ongoing conflict and accusations between Israel and Hamas.

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The Israeli military said it was not aware of any incident involving a 10-year-old girl.

Medics and relatives identified one victim as 10-year-old Amal Abu Khater, who was struck by a bullet in her back while inside her family's tent in Khan Younis. They stated the fire originated from Israeli forces to the east. Separately, a four-year-old boy and another Palestinian were killed in Israeli airstrikes on a house in the Bureij refugee camp and a road in Khan Younis, according to medics.

The Israeli military stated it had no knowledge of the specific incident involving the 10-year-old girl. Regarding other strikes, the military confirmed targeting a Hamas militant in Deir Al-Balah but did not directly address questions about the Khan Younis and Bureij attacks. The military also reported carrying out strikes on Hamas weapons storage sites, including two inside mosques, and noted one site was adjacent to a desalination facility, though it denied targeting the facility itself.

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the military had carried out strikes on several Hamas ‌weapons storage sites throughout the day, including two inside mosques.

These events unfold against a backdrop of a fragile ceasefire. Gazan health officials report over 1,280 Palestinians killed since the ceasefire took effect last October, while the Israeli military states four Israeli soldiers have died. Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire and hindering peace efforts, while Israel maintains its strikes are aimed at thwarting imminent attacks by militants.

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They said ​the military had not targeted the desalination facility and did not say whether or not it had been damaged in the strike.