Israeli offensive in Gaza kills 4, including 2 children, despite US calls to cease attacks

Palestinian residents fled homes and businesses in war-torn Gaza on Monday after Israeli airstrikes and tank fire killed at least four people, including two children, hospital authorities reported. The casualties occurred just a week after a U.S. delegation urged Israel to reduce its attacks.

An Israeli strike hit a structure in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, killing a 4-year-old child and injuring his mother and sister, according to Awda Hospital. The Israeli military did not comment on this specific incident. Other buildings across the territory were also hit following evacuation warnings, prompting residents to flee through debris.

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. The army claimed these facilities contained dozens of Kalashnikov rifles, magazines, and other military equipment, but provided no evidence.

Earlier, an Israeli strike on a tent in Deir al-Balah killed a man, identified by Al-Aqsa Hospital as a militant affiliated with Hamas's special forces unit. In southern Gaza's Khan Younis, an Israeli tank shell killed a 10-year-old girl, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the victim's body. The Israeli military stated it had no knowledge of the incident involving the girl.