An Israeli airstrike near a bakery in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip killed two Palestinians, including a three-year-old boy, on Sunday, according to Gaza health officials. Medics identified those killed as Hussam Nusair and three-year-old Tayyem Hamdan. Several other people were also wounded in the strike, adding to concerns over continued civilian casualties in the territory despite an ongoing ceasefire. Gaza medics said the strike occurred in the vicinity of a bakery in Deir Al-Balah, an area in central Gaza that has continued to experience Israeli military activity.
The death of the young child has drawn particular attention because it occurred amid continued violence despite the ceasefire that was intended to halt major fighting. Details about the number and condition of those wounded were not immediately available in the information provided by health officials. The Israeli military said it had carried out the strike against a Hamas militant but did not provide further details about the target or the circumstances surrounding the operation. Israel has continued to say that its military actions in Gaza are aimed at preventing attacks by Hamas and other militant groups. The latest strike comes as the ceasefire remains under strain, with both sides continuing to accuse the other of actions that threaten efforts to maintain the arrangement.
A US-backed ceasefire reached in October 2025 brought an end to major fighting in the Gaza Strip, which had been devastated by the prolonged conflict. However, the truce did not completely stop Israeli military strikes in the territory. Israel has maintained that such operations are necessary to counter threats from Hamas and other armed groups, while Hamas has repeatedly accused Israel of violating the ceasefire. The continuing violence has also complicated efforts to implement a broader plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to end the Gaza conflict.
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The plan includes provisions involving Israeli military withdrawals and the disarmament of Hamas. Hamas has accused Israel of undermining the process and violating the ceasefire, while Israel has continued to focus on preventing armed groups in Gaza from carrying out attacks. According to Gaza health officials, more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since the ceasefire took effect last October. The figures provided by the health authorities do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The Israeli military, meanwhile, has said that four Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began. The latest deaths underline the fragile nature of the ceasefire and the continuing humanitarian risks faced by civilians in Gaza. The killing of Hamdan, a three-year-old child, alongside Nusair and the reported injuries to several others, comes as efforts continue to secure a more comprehensive end to the conflict. The competing claims from Israel and Hamas over ceasefire violations and military operations continue to make implementation of the broader peace framework uncertain.
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