In brief
In a devastating incident on Friday night, 11 members of the Abu Shaaban family were killed when an Israeli tank shell struck their bus in northern Gaza. The family was allegedly attempting to check their home when the attack occurred, marking the deadliest incident involving Israeli forces in Gaza since a ceasefire began eight days prior. The Israeli military defended its actions, stating that they targeted a 'suspicious vehicle' which had crossed into a restricted area. The situation remains tense as both sides exchange blame over the incident, with significant casualties reported on both ends since the start of the recent conflict.
Gaza's Hamas-run civil defence reports that 11 people were killed, all from the same family, after the bus they were in was hit by an Israeli tank shell in northern Gaza.
The Abu Shaaban family was attempting to reach their home to inspect it when the incident happened in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City on Friday night.
This marks the deadliest single incident involving Israeli soldiers in Gaza since the ceasefire commenced eight days ago.
The Israeli military stated that soldiers fired at a suspicious vehicle that crossed their designated boundary in southern Gaza.
Israeli troops continue operations in areas of the Gaza Strip still under their control, according to the ceasefire agreement.
Mahmud Bassal, a civil defense spokesman, confirmed that the victims were killed while trying to assess their home in a region still occupied by Israeli forces.
The casualties reportedly included both women and children. The IDF explained that the vehicle posed a threat as it approached their troops, prompting them to open fire.
Hamas criticized the strike, asserting that the attack lacked justification. Confusion persists among Palestinians regarding the location of Israeli troops, as the yellow line marking the demarcated area is not physically indicated, leading to uncertainties about the bus's route.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced plans to establish visual markers for clarity.
In other developments, Hamas returned the body of Israeli hostage Eliyahu Margalit, marking a dosage of complexity in current discussions. The return of hostages and casualties remains a focal point in ceasefire negotiations.
Since the onset of military operations by Israel following the October 7 attack, approximately 67,900 Palestinians have been reported killed, according to sources from Gaza's health ministry, a number corroborated by the United Nations.
