Israeli drone strike kills Palestinian siblings in Muwasi camp despite ceasefire

Deiral-balah,UPDATED: Jun 27, 2026 20:22 IST

Two Palestinian siblings, including a 15-year-old girl, were killed in an Israeli drone strike on tents sheltering displaced people in southern Gaza on Saturday, according to Nasser hospital. At least seven other people were wounded in the strike in Muwasi, while another strike on a tent in western Gaza City wounded at least 12 people, hospital and ambulance officials said.

The attacks came despite a fragile ceasefire reached in October that paused the heaviest fighting between Israel and Hamas. Israel has continued near-daily strikes and shelling across Gaza, while both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

Nasser hospital said the strike in the sprawling Muwasi camp killed 15-year-old Islam Moussa and her 30-year-old brother, Abdullah Moussa. The Israeli military said it had struck the Muwasi area and that it had targeted a Hamas militant, but it did not immediately provide further details. In the hospital courtyard, relatives wept over the bodies, which were covered in white burial shrouds.

Also on Saturday, Palestinians reported hearing a loud blast in Gaza City. Shifa hospital said an Israeli strike hit a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in western Gaza City, wounding at least 12 people. The ambulance service of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said two of the injured were in a critical condition and that most of those hurt were women. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on that strike, and it was not immediately clear what the target was.

Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat and that it is acting in response to ceasefire violations. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, more than 1,030 people in Gaza have been killed by Israel since the ceasefire took effect. The ministry keeps detailed casualty records that are regarded as generally reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts, but it does not distinguish between civilians and militants. Last week, the ministry said more than 250 children had been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began.

A team of independent experts commissioned by the United Nations has accused Israel of deliberately shooting children in Gaza and repeated an accusation that Israel committed genocide in the territory. Israel has denied that allegation. The war began on October 7, 2023, when a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Gaza's Health Ministry says Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 73,050 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, underscoring that deadly strikes have continued even after the truce took effect.

With PTI Inputs

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