Israeli attacks on Gaza kill five Palestinians, including two children

Seven-year-old Wafaa Aqila and her father killed by Israeli strike while returning home after shopping for school supplies.

Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed five people, including two children, according to Palestinian officials, despite a so-called ceasefire in the war-ravaged territory.

Seven-year-old Wafaa Aqila and her father were killed by an Israeli strike on a vehicle they were travelling in after buying school supplies, just days before she was due to start the new school year, the Palestinian Ministry of Education said in a statement on Sunday.

Hours later, an Israeli artillery attack hit the Sakina School, which is serving as a shelter for displaced people in Deir el-Balah, killing Saadi Ghalia, a first-grade student.

The Palestinian Ministry of Education condemned the attacks, saying that while children around the world prepare for a new school year, in Gaza, children are subjected to “killing and annihilation”.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported on Monday that at least five Palestinians were killed and 30 others wounded in the past 24 hours, while two Palestinians died after succumbing to their wounds sustained in previous Israeli attacks.

At least 1,352 people have been killed and 4,511 others wounded since the “ceasefire” took effect in October, according to Health Ministry tallies. At least 73,658 Palestinians have been killed and 174,622 others wounded since Israel launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023.