Israeli Strikes Across Central and Southern Gaza Kill Four Palestinians

At least four Palestinians, including a child, were killed on Thursday during a series of Israeli drone strikes and ground bombardments across central and southern Gaza. According to local medical officials, the latest casualties occurred in az-Zawayda, Khan Younis, and the Bureij refugee camp. The strikes represent a continuation of military activity focused along perimeter zones and encampments for displaced people.

Medical staff at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported that a 27-year-old man, Abdul Rahim Walid Matar, was killed at dawn when an Israeli drone launched two missiles at a tent sheltering displaced persons in az-Zawayda. Medical sources confirmed a second fatal drone strike in the same area shortly after. In the Bureij refugee camp, direct fire targeting residential areas and tents killed a child on the spot, according to representatives at al-Awda Hospital. Outside military-controlled zones in Khan Younis, officials at Nasser Medical Complex confirmed the death of a woman and injuries to two other people caused by gunfire.

Additional injuries were reported in Deir el-Balah, where a drone strike on a gathering of residents in the al-Baraka neighborhood wounded several individuals, leaving one in critical condition. In northern Gaza, medical personnel at al-Shifa Hospital stated that one person was injured when a drone struck an apartment in the al-Karama district. Israeli forces also conducted artillery shelling in eastern Gaza City, supported by naval fire directed toward the coastline. Residents in eastern Khan Younis reported controlled explosions as military forces demolished homes and facilities inside territory under their control.

Ground operations extended along the eastern edges of al-Musaddar and Deir el-Balah, where heavy machinery bulldozed residential structures and agricultural land. Gaza's Health Ministry reported that three Palestinians were killed and 21 wounded during the 24-hour period ending Wednesday. The ministry states that 1,602 Palestinians have been killed and 5,794 injured since a ceasefire agreement took effect on October 11, 2025. This brings the total casualty figures reported by health authorities since October 2023 to 74,618 deaths and 175,920 injuries.

Data published by the Gaza Government Media Office indicates that 5,989 violations of the ceasefire have been documented since October 2025. The office recorded 753 specific incidents during October alone, comprising 346 shootings, 310 bombardments, and 64 home demolitions.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com