At least three Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, including two children and a woman, Palestinian medics confirmed on Tuesday.
The deaths in western Gaza City followed what unconfirmed local reports described as a covert raid by either Israeli special forces or an Israel-backed Palestinian militia, who are said to have entered a densely populated area using a van and motorcycles. When the presence of the unit was uncovered, the Israeli military reportedly carried out drone strikes and shelling in an effort to secure it. A third child was killed in a separate incident in central Gaza.
Videos circulating from Gaza City showed chaotic scenes, with gunfire audible and the aftermath of air strikes visible in a crowded residential area. A local source told the BBC that a senior Hamas security official was believed to have been the target of the operation.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz separately announced that a senior Hamas official had been arrested, though it remained unclear whether his statement was connected to the events in Gaza City.
The Israeli military issued a brief statement confirming strikes on “several targets in Gaza in order to remove threats to the security forces,” adding that no Israeli troops were injured. The military did not confirm the nature of the operation or whether those involved were Israeli soldiers or militia members.
The ceasefire in Gaza, which came into effect in October last year, formally remains in place. Israeli forces have carried out several strikes in the territory since then, with Israel accusing Hamas of repeatedly violating the agreement.
More than 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
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