Kids, journalist among dead as Israeli strikes pound Gaza despite ceasefire

Fresh Israeli air strikes across Gaza killed at least six people on Saturday, including two young sisters and an Al Jazeera cameraman, underscoring the fragility of a ceasefire that has done little to halt the bloodshed in the besieged enclave.

The deadliest attack of the day came shortly after 2 am, when an Israeli strike hit an apartment in Gaza City without warning. The blast killed sisters Zina, 4, and Lana, 14, and left several others wounded.

When rescue workers arrived, they found blood-stained rubble and shattered concrete scattered across the site. The girls' bodies were later taken to Shifa Hospital, where grieving relatives gathered around the white body bags.

"I was sitting at home. The rocket fell on us without a warning," said their cousin, Mohammad Safadi, who suffered a head injury in the attack.

"This ceasefire the occupation and the negotiation team speak of ... is this really a ceasefire? We are civilians. I never held a weapon," he said.

The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident.

Hours later, another wave of strikes struck different parts of the Gaza Strip.

In central Gaza's Bureij refugee camp, an Israeli strike on a residential house killed three people, including Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Wishah, according to medical officials at Al-Aqsa Hospital. The broadcaster later confirmed his death.

Wishah's killing adds to the growing toll on media workers covering the conflict. His brother, Mohammed Wishah, an Al Jazeera correspondent, was killed in a separate Israeli strike in April.

The Israeli military said Ahmed Wishah was killed in a "precise strike" and alleged that he was affiliated with Hamas's military wing and posed a threat to Israeli forces. No evidence was immediately provided to support the claim.

Elsewhere, a strike on a group of people in the sprawling tent camp of Muwasi in southern Gaza killed one person and wounded eight others, according to Nasser Hospital.

Another attack in Gaza City wounded at least four people after targeting a gathering of civilians, hospital officials said.

The latest casualties come despite a ceasefire announced in October between Israel and Hamas. Since then, Gaza has continued to witness near-daily Israeli attacks, with more than 1,000 Palestinians reported killed during the truce period, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

Israel says its operations target Hamas fighters and other militants it considers a threat. The Israeli military says five of its soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire took effect.

The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed 73,018 Palestinians and wounded tens of thousands more, according to Gaza's health ministry. The ministry says women and children account for roughly half of the fatalities, though it does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its overall figures.

As air strikes continue to hit homes, refugee camps and tent settlements, many Gazans say the ceasefire exists only on paper, while the reality on the ground remains one of fear, loss and recurring violence.

With AP inputs