An airstrike conducted by Israeli forces resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, as confirmed by health officials. Among the casualties were a three-year-old child named Tayyem Hamdan and a man identified as Hussam Nusair, with several others sustaining injuries in the attack near a bakery in Deir al-Balah.
The Israeli military stated that the strike was targeted at and successfully eliminated a Hamas militant, Hussam Nusair, who was allegedly involved in planning attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. Despite this assertion, Hamas did not immediately respond to the military’s claims.
While a U.S.-supported ceasefire last October brought a temporary halt to significant hostilities in the region, it did not prevent continued military actions by Israel, which aimed at preventing potential attacks by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. Hamas has accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire terms and impeding the implementation of a broader peace initiative proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, which includes steps such as Israeli withdrawals and the disarmament of Hamas.
Since the ceasefire went into effect last October, over 1,300 Palestinians in Gaza have lost their lives, according to health officials in the region, while the Israeli military reports the deaths of four of its soldiers in the conflict.
