Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Kill Two, Including 4-Year-Old, Amid Tensions
Escalating Violence and Aftermath in Gaza and the West Bank
Casualties and Details of the Airstrikes
By Nidal al-Mughrabi
CAIRO, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Two Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday killed at least two people, including a four-year-old boy, and wounded seven others, Palestinian health officials said, as Israel warned it would intensify strikes after what it said were launches of balloons, drones and kites from Gaza toward Israel.
One of the strikes hit a building in Zawayda town in the centre of the enclave and followed a warning by the Israeli army for the owners of the property to leave the area, residents said.
Medics said flying debris and shrapnel that spread for dozens of metres around had wounded at least six people, including the four-year-old, Mohammad Abdel-Salam Taha, who was later pronounced dead at hospital.
"There is no ceasefire, there is nothing," said Abu Ahmed, a displaced Palestinian who was sheltering close to the building, which the airstrike reduced to a pile of mangled steel and concrete.
"We want solutions, we want to live in peace," he said.
The second airstrike took place in the nearby Nuseirat refugee camp, the health officials said.
Israel's military said it was looking into both strikes.
Ongoing Conflict Despite Ceasefire
Israeli Military Actions Against Hamas
ISRAEL TARGETS HAMAS DESPITE CEASEFIRE
An October 2025 U.S.-backed ceasefire halted major fighting in the shattered territory, but it failed to end strikes by the Israeli military, which it said aimed to thwart attacks by Hamas and other Gaza militants.
The military said in a statement late on Saturday that it had struck and killed a senior Hamas militant, Sharif Al-Hasnat, in the city of Deir Al-Balah. It said he was leading efforts to restore Hamas' "underground infrastructure".
Ceasefire Violations and Political Tensions
Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire and undermining efforts to implement a broader plan by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the Gaza conflict, which also includes Israeli withdrawals and Hamas disarmament.
More than 1,280 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect last October, according to Gazan health officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed.
Escalation Warnings and Responses
Israel has reported the launch of drones, balloons and kites from the Gaza Strip toward Israel. Following a situation assessment on Sunday, it warned Hamas it would intensify strikes in Gaza and order civilians to evacuate areas if the launches didn't stop immediately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim dismissed Israel’s warning, writing on X that children launch the kites “in search of their innocent childhood amid the rubble.”
Violence in the West Bank
Stabbing and Shooting Incidents
WEST BANK VIOLENCE
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, an Israeli man was stabbed and wounded by a suspect believed to be a Palestinian man, police and the Israeli military said.
Security camera footage distributed by the military showed a man waiting by a vehicle next to a main highway near Jericho before stabbing the Israeli man when he approached his parked car.
The suspect fled on foot and Israeli soldiers were searching for him, the military said.
Elsewhere in the West Bank, health officials said Israeli forces had shot and killed a 14-year-old boy, Islam Ajjouri, during a raid into Askar refugee camp near Nablus.
The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident.
Settler Violence and International Law
The West Bank, home to 3 million Palestinians and some 500,000 settlers, has seen a rise in settler violence and seizures of land and resources.
U.N. bodies and most countries view the settlements as illegal under international law regarding military occupations. Israel disputes this and it cites biblical and historical ties to the land.
Reporting and Editorial Credits
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi. Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta, Maayan Lubell and Mahmoud Issa;Editing by Helen Popper and Susan Fenton)
