SRINAGAR: Eleven members of the same family were killed when a bus they were travelling in was struck by an Israeli tank shell in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of northern Gaza, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defence, as per BBC report.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal according to Aljazeera said the victims, all members of the Abu Shaaban family, were attempting to return to their home to inspect the damage when the shell hit their vehicle. The dead reportedly included women and children. This marks the deadliest single incident involving Israeli forces in Gaza since the ceasefire began eight days ago.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said troops fired at what they described as a “suspicious vehicle” that had crossed the “yellow line” demarcating areas still occupied by Israeli forces. “Warning shots were fired, but the vehicle continued to approach troops, posing an imminent threat,” the IDF said in a statement as per Aljazeera. “Forces then opened fire to remove the threat, in accordance with the agreement.”
Hamas condemned the incident, saying the family had been targeted “without justification.” The IDF has repeatedly warned Palestinians not to enter areas still under its control, though the yellow line is not physically marked, making its boundaries unclear to civilians.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army would install visible signs to indicate the restricted zones. Limited internet access in Gaza has made it difficult for residents to track troop positions, increasing the risk of such deadly encounters.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Hamas on Friday released the body of Israeli hostage Eliyahu Margalit to the Red Cross, which returned it to Israel. Margalit was the tenth deceased hostage repatriated from Gaza, while the remains of 18 others are still awaited.
Israel also handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza officials via the Red Cross, bringing the total number of bodies received to 135, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The Israeli military launched its campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks that killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage. Since then, at least 67,900 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza’s health ministry figures, which the United Nations considers credible.
