Israeli Strikes Kill Two in Gaza as Tensions Rise

Two Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least two Palestinians, including a four-year-old boy, and wounded seven others on Sunday, according to Palestinian health officials, as Israel threatened to intensify military action over launches from the enclave.

One strike hit a building in Zawayda in central Gaza after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning to the property’s owners, residents said. Debris and shrapnel scattered across the surrounding area, injuring at least six people.

Four-year-old Mohammad Abdel-Salam Taha later died from his injuries at a hospital, medics said. A second Israeli airstrike was reported in the nearby Nuseirat refugee camp. The Israeli military said it was reviewing both incidents.

The latest Gaza strikes come despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire reached in October 2025 that largely halted major fighting. Israel has continued carrying out targeted operations, saying they are necessary to prevent attacks by Hamas and other militant groups.

On Saturday, the Israeli military said it killed senior Hamas militant Sharif Al-Hasnat in Deir Al-Balah, accusing him of overseeing efforts to rebuild Hamas’ underground infrastructure.

Hamas has accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and obstructing a broader U.S.-backed plan to end the Gaza conflict. More than 1,280 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began, according to Gaza health officials. Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed during the same period.

Israel has recently reported drones, balloons and kites being launched from Gaza toward Israeli territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office warned Sunday that strikes would intensify and additional evacuation orders could follow unless the launches stopped immediately.

Tensions also remained high in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities said a man was wounded in a stabbing near Jericho and security forces were searching for a Palestinian suspect.

Separately, Palestinian health officials said Israeli forces shot and killed 14-year-old Islam Ajjouri during a raid on the Askar refugee camp near Nablus. The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident.

Violence in the West Bank has increased alongside disputes over Israeli settlements, which most countries and U.N. bodies consider illegal under international law, a position Israel rejects.