Israeli strikes in Gaza kill nine, including Al Jazeera journalist and child

At least nine Palestinians, including an Al Jazeera journalist and a young child, were killed in separate Israeli strikes and shooting incidents across the Gaza Strip.

At least nine Palestinians, including an Al Jazeera journalist and a young child, were killed in separate Israeli strikes and shooting incidents across the Gaza Strip on Saturday as violence continued despite an existing ceasefire. The latest attacks have added to the growing civilian death toll and renewed concerns over the fragile security situation in the territory.

One of the deadliest strikes targeted a residential apartment building in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City. According to local health officials, four people were killed in the attack, including two women and a child. Several others were injured after the building was heavily damaged by the airstrike. Israel’s military said it had targeted a militant in the area but did not provide further details or identify the individual.

In northern Gaza, medical teams reported that Israeli forces shot and killed a woman in the town of Beit Lahiya. Another airstrike in Khan Younis in the southern part of the territory left one person dead and injured at least eight others. Rescue workers continued searching damaged buildings while hospitals struggled to treat the wounded.

Later in the day, another Israeli strike hit a house in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, killing three people. Among those killed was Ahmed Wishah, a cameraman working for Al Jazeera. The news organisation condemned the attack, calling it a deliberate killing and describing the strike as a serious crime against journalists. Ahmed Wishah’s death came only two months after his brother Mohammed Wishah, who also worked for Al Jazeera, was killed during an Israeli operation.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate strongly condemned the latest killing and called for international action to hold Israeli leaders accountable for attacks on media workers. The organisation said nearly 300 Palestinian journalists have lost their lives since the war began in October 2023. Al Jazeera said Ahmed Wishah became the twelfth journalist from its network to be killed in Gaza since the conflict started.

Israel said the strike had targeted a Hamas fighter who also worked as a photojournalist for Al Jazeera. The military claimed Ahmed Wishah had served as a sniper and was killed alongside two other Hamas members. However, it did not release evidence to support those claims. Hamas and Al Jazeera rejected the allegations and denied that Wishah had any connection with the armed group.

Although a ceasefire agreed in October brought an end to large scale fighting, deadly incidents have continued across Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect. During the same period, four Israeli soldiers have also been killed in fighting with Palestinian militants.

Efforts to secure a broader political agreement remain stalled. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United States continue to work with both sides, but disagreements remain over the future of Gaza. Israel insists Hamas must surrender its weapons and step aside from governing the territory. Hamas says any discussion of disarmament can only happen alongside a political process that leads to the creation of an independent Palestinian state. With negotiations making little progress, hopes for a lasting peace remain uncertain.