Gaza Strike Kills One in Deir al-Balah as Ceasefire Toll Mounts

Israeli strikes across Gaza on Thursday killed at least one person and left others injured, health officials said, in the latest violence to test a ceasefire that has now held for nearly a year.

A man was killed when a vehicle was struck in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza. The body was taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where it was later seen wrapped on the ground inside the morgue. Footage from the scene showed the wreckage of the car surrounded by displaced families living in nearby tents.

Mona Zuhor, displaced from Beit Lahiya, described how she survived the attack. She said she had been taking mattresses out of her tent to clean them when a jeep arrived, and that the man was targeted as soon as he stepped out.

"A little girl had been sitting right here, but she fled in terror. I didn't know how to hide, so I crawled; shrapnel tore through the tents — even the bedding, which is just five mattresses, was completely destroyed," she said.

Zuhor questioned why the truce had not stopped the strikes. "There is airstrike every day — where is the ceasefire?" she asked.

Health officials also reported injuries from strikes in the southern city of Khan Younis. The Israeli army said it was striking militants but did not provide further information.

More than 1,400 people, including hundreds of children, have been killed since last October, when a fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was put in place. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period.