In brief
Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of three people in western Gaza City, including two children and a woman, according to Palestinian medical sources. The incident followed rumors of a raid by an Israel‑backed Palestinian militia, prompting the Israeli military to shell and target the area. While a senior Hamas official was reportedly arrested, the connection to the raid remains unclear. Video footage shows chaotic scenes, gunfire, and the aftermath of the strikes.
Local Palestinian medics have confirmed that two children aged 10 and 12 and a 38‑year‑old woman were killed by Israeli air and artillery fire in western Gaza City. The deaths came after reports of a raid by an Israel‑backed Palestinian militia, which the Israeli military responded to with further shelling and air strikes.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that a senior Hamas security official had been arrested, though it is unclear whether the arrest relates to the Gaza City incident or to earlier operations in the region.
Video footage captured from Gaza City shows sustained gunfire, explosions, and the chaotic aftermath of the strikes. Initial reports indicated that a special Israeli unit may have entered a crowded area using a van and motorcycles, but the identity of the infiltrating forces—whether Israeli soldiers or militia members—remains disputed.
The Israeli military has stated that it struck several targets in Gaza “to remove threats to the security forces,” noting that no Israeli troops were injured. The incident adds to the growing toll on civilians amid ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
