Israeli Airstrike in Gaza Refugee Camp Kills Infant and Parents Amid Fragile Ceasefire

An Israeli airstrike on a residential apartment in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed three Palestinians on Sunday, including a six-month-old baby, according to local health officials. The victims were identified as Mohammad Abu Mallouh, his wife Alaa Zaqlan, and their infant son Osama.

Medical sources also reported that a Palestinian man was later killed by Israeli gunfire near a United Nations-operated medical clinic in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. The Israeli military had not issued an immediate statement regarding either incident.

Relatives gathered at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah to mourn the victims, whose bodies were wrapped in white burial shrouds. Family members described the attack as sudden and devastating, saying the family had been asleep when the strike hit their home.

According to the infant’s grandmother, Umm Hamza Abu Mallouh, the missile struck directly where the parents and child were sleeping, leaving behind six young daughters. Yehia Abu Mallouh, brother of the deceased father, told Reuters the family received no evacuation warning before the strike.

Israel has recently resumed evacuation orders across parts of Gaza after such notices had decreased during the ceasefire period that began in October. The truce, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, has struggled to stop ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas.

Despite the ceasefire agreement, Gaza health officials say around 880 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce started. The Israeli military reports that four Israeli soldiers have died during the same period. Israel maintains that its operations target militants and are intended to prevent attacks near the armistice line, while Hamas and Israeli negotiators remain deadlocked over disarmament talks and long-term security arrangements in Gaza.