A young Palestinian girl was killed and another civilian injured on Thursday by Israeli occupation forces in two separate incidents in the north-eastern Gaza Strip, areas supposedly deemed safe under the declared ceasefire agreement.
Medical sources at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City reported the arrival of a casualty following direct gunfire from Israeli occupation vehicles near Kuwait Junction in the Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood, marking the latest ground assault since the early hours of the morning.
Earlier that day, 11-year-old girl Hamseh Nidal Hosso was killed after being shot directly by Israeli occupation forces stationed east of Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Strip, according to medical sources.
Eyewitnesses stated that Israeli occupation forces opened heavy fire on densely populated residential areas, leading to the girl’s immediate death.
The gravity of these incidents lies in their location, areas from which the Israeli occupation military had previously withdrawn and which, in theory, fall under ceasefire arrangements. This raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of such agreements and the occupation’s actual commitment to them.
Targeting civilians, particularly children, constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law, which obligates occupying powers to protect civilian populations and ensure their safety, especially in areas not witnessing active combat.
The use of lethal force in populated areas without an imminent threat amounts to unlawful killing, violating the principles of proportionality and necessity, which are fundamental to the laws of armed conflict. Continued gunfire in areas labelled “safe zones” represents a flagrant breach of obligations and reduces ceasefire arrangements to mere formalities offering no real protection.
These incidents form part of a broader pattern of Israeli occupation’s ceasefire violations since 10 October 2025, which, according to Palestinian data, have resulted in the deaths of 424 Palestinians and injuries to 1,199 others, the majority of whom were civilians.
It is worth noting that the occupation launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on 7 October 2023, lasting nearly two years and resulting in the deaths of more than 71,000 Palestinians and the injury of approximately 171,000 others. The war has caused widespread destruction, affecting nearly 90% of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure. UN estimates place the cost of reconstruction at around $70 billion, marking this as one of the most devastating military campaigns in modern history.
