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An Israeli strike hit a tent sheltering displaced people in Deir al-Balah, killing three Palestinians. The attack underscored how Gaza's death toll keeps rising despite the ceasefire easing major fighting.
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Deiral-balah,UPDATED: Jun 29, 2026 18:56 IST
Israeli forces struck a tent sheltering displaced people in central Gaza on Monday, killing at least three Palestinians, including an eight-year-old boy and his grandfather, according to medical officials. The strike hit Deir al-Balah, one of the least damaged towns in the central Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military said the strike was aimed at a militant, but did not immediately identify him or say whether he had been killed. The attack came as Israeli forces continued near-daily strikes in Gaza even after the heaviest fighting eased following a ceasefire in October.
Health authorities in Gaza said the drone strike hit a neighbourhood in Deir al-Balah. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital identified the dead as Hassan al-Hanagra, his eight-year-old grandchild Malik Abu Shawish, and another man. Hospital officials said Abu Shawish, whose parents are divorced, was visiting his mother's tent when it was struck, and that his mother was among seven people wounded.
In a separate strike in southern Gaza on Sunday, the Israeli military said it killed Zaher Abu Salem, whom it described as a member of Islamic Jihad involved in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war. Sunday also saw a series of strikes across Gaza that killed four people, including 13-year-old Eileen al-Farra, who was hit by shrapnel from Israeli tank shelling and was buried on Monday.
According to health officials in Gaza, Israeli strikes since the ceasefire have killed 1,045 Palestinians, including more than 360 women and children. Israel says it is targeting militants, often saying they were planning attacks on Israeli troops who hold more than 60 per cent of the Gaza Strip. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed in militant attacks since the ceasefire, according to Israel.
The Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are regarded as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts, though it does not distinguish between civilians and militants. The ministry says Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,058 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, while the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
In sum, Monday's strike in Deir al-Balah added to the continuing toll of Israeli attacks in Gaza, where casualties have continued to mount despite the reduction in large-scale fighting since the ceasefire.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jun 29, 2026 18:56 IST
