Gaza: Four dead, including a child, in new airstrikes despite the ceasefire

Four people, including a child, were killed Thursday, April 16, in the Gaza Strip following Israeli gunfire and shelling, according to local civil defense officials. This latest violence comes amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which has been in effect since October 2025 after two years of conflict.

According to Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for this Hamas-affiliated relief organization, a 9-year-old boy, Saleh Badawi, was fatally shot by Israeli forces in the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City. He was taken to Al-Maamadani Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

In the northern part of the territory, two brothers were also killed in the morning during an Israeli drone strike near a school in Beit Lahya. Separately, a 38-year-old man, identified as Mohsen Ouda Al-Dabbari, died after being shot near Khan Younis, in the southern part of the enclave.

The Israeli army stated that it had killed two terrorists in Beit Lahya who had reportedly crossed into a restricted area and posed an immediate threat to its soldiers. It added that it was verifying information regarding other casualties reported by civil defense.

Since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, 2025, Israel and Hamas have been accusing each other of repeated violations. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 766 Palestinians have been killed since that date, a figure deemed credible by the United Nations. For its part, the Israeli army reports having lost five soldiers since the start of the ceasefire.