An Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza has killed five people, including two children, according to Gaza's civil defence agency. The strike hit near the Kuwaiti field hospital in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, and also wounded 32 others, the hospital reported.
The Israeli military said it targeted a "Hamas terrorist" in response to a clash with Palestinian militants that left five soldiers wounded. The military described an encounter in eastern Rafah where militants emerged from an underground tunnel, resulting in injuries to Israeli personnel.
The fragile US-brokered ceasefire, in effect since 19 October, has largely halted fighting but both sides accuse each other of violations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office accused Hamas of breaching the agreement, while a security source in Gaza reported heavy artillery and gunfire from Israeli forces east of Rafah.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated there was something "fundamentally wrong" with Israel's military operation in Gaza, citing civilian deaths and destruction. He noted strong reasons to believe war crimes had been committed, though Israel's UN mission did not immediately respond.
The war began with Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,221 people. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 70,117 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry. Since the ceasefire, 360 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been killed.
