Israeli fire killed at least six Palestinians, including two children, during separate incidents across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, according to local health officials.
The violence occurred during a U.S.-broader ceasefire agreement. In Gaza City, a strike targeting a police vehicle killed four people, including a three-year-old boy named Yahya Al-Malahi, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry reported.
A police officer died in the Gaza City strike, while nine bystanders sustained injuries, some of which are critical, according to the report.
In northern Gaza, near Jabalia, health authorities and the family of 14-year-old Adam Ahmed Halaa confirmed he was killed by Israeli fire.
Israel's military did not immediately provide comments on either incident, according to France 24.
At Al Shifa hospital, the largest medical facility in Gaza, relatives gathered to mourn the victims. Mukhlis Al-Malahi, the father of the three-year-old, described how the attack interrupted a family celebration.
"We got close to Timraz crossroad with Nafaq; then, we suddenly found something hitting us. They hit a police vehicle as we walked," Al-Malahi told Reuters.
Another relative, Hader Al-Malahi, expressed the grief of the family. "What is his fault? What is his crime? He should be wearing a wedding suit at his cousin's today, but instead, he wore a shroud stained with blood," he said.
Escalating violence
In northern Gaza, the Israeli military stated it killed a man near the armistice line, identifying him as an armed militant. Health authorities confirmed a death occurred in that area but did not provide specific details.
The current ceasefire began last October to halt two years of full-scale war. However, Israeli troops maintain control over a depopulated zone comprising more than half of the Gaza Strip, according to France 24.
Hamas officials have told Reuters that Israel has intensified attacks on police and security forces since October. They accused Israel of attempting to incite chaos and anarchy within the enclave.
Israel maintains that its operations aim to prevent attacks by Hamas and other militant factions. Since the ceasefire took effect, more than 750 Palestinians have been killed, according to reports.
