An Israeli missile strike hit southern Gaza. Five people died. Two of them were children. The Gaza civil defence agency confirmed the deaths on Wednesday.

“Five citizens, including two children, killed and others injured, some seriously, as a result of an Israeli missile strike,” in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP.

The strike landed near the Kuwaiti field hospital in Khan Younis. It also “targeted” a shelter camp where displaced people were staying.

Doctors at a Gaza hospital confirmed the deaths. They said the children were eight and ten years old. The hospital also reported 32 people injured.

At the same time, the Israeli military released its own statement. It said it hit a “Hamas terrorist” in southern Gaza. It said Palestinian militants clashed with Israeli troops. Five Israeli soldiers were injured during the encounter.

Ceasefire remains fragile

A US-brokered ceasefire began on October 10. Large-scale fighting has mostly stopped. However, small clashes continue. Both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaking the agreement.

Israel explains the clash

On Wednesday, Israel released more details. The army said its soldiers were operating in eastern Rafah. Several militants “emerged from an underground terrorist infrastructure”.

“During the encounter, an [Israeli] combat soldier was severely injured, two additional combat soldiers and a noncommissioned officer were moderately injured,” the military said.

The army moved the injured soldiers to a hospital. It also informed their families.

Later, the Israel Defence Forces confirmed the airstrike. It did not share details about the fifth injured soldier. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office then accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire.

Heavy shelling reported

A security source in Gaza described the scene. At around 4 pm, “very heavy artillery shelling took place from occupation vehicles east of Rafah city, along with heavy gunfire from warplanes”. The source also said an Israeli helicopter landed in the area.

Earlier, Israel said it killed more than 40 militants in the past week. These operations focused on tunnels near Rafah. Reports also said talks were happening about fighters still inside the tunnels. A senior Hamas member said around 60 to 80 fighters remained underground.

Deaths since the ceasefire

The Gaza health ministry said 360 Palestinians have died since the ceasefire began. Israel’s military said three of its soldiers have died in the same period. These numbers show how unstable the situation remains.