Israeli forces kill four Palestinians in eastern Gaza City

Israeli military forces killed four Palestinians on Thursday in targeted drone and artillery strikes on eastern Gaza City, expanding their control over the besieged enclave as violations of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10 continued unabated, according to Palestinian medical officials and local witnesses.

Attacks target displacement camps and residential areas

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said Nihad Riyad Arouq, 33, died when an Israeli drone struck a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in the port area west of Gaza City, injuring several children who were treated at Al-Shifa Medical Complex. Ibrahim Khattab, 37, was killed earlier when artillery shelling and gunfire from advancing military vehicles hit his family near Dawla Junction southeast of the Zeitoun neighborhood, leaving his wife and children wounded, according to medical sources. Al-Shifa also received the bodies of Mohammed Al-Rifi and Suhail Ahdaibi following a drone strike on a civilian gathering near Al-Sanfour Junction in the Tuffah neighborhood, hospital officials added.

Military advance deepens control over Gaza City

Israeli military vehicles advanced overnight near Dawla Junction under heavy artillery cover and live fire, witnesses told Anadolu Agency. The forces moved dozens of meters toward Salah al-Din Street and pushed westward the concrete barriers marking the so-called Yellow Line — a security zone where Palestinians are barred from approaching — further reducing territory accessible to civilians, they said. Dozens of families fled the area as shelling ignited fires in nearby commercial shops, activists reported.

Casualties mount amid ceasefire violations

Israeli officials now claim control over more than 70 percent of the Gaza Strip, up from 53 percent under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement. The Gaza Health Ministry reported on Wednesday that Israeli attacks since the truce took effect have killed 1,123 Palestinians and injured 3,616 others. The ministry documented the toll as forces continued to violate the ceasefire through daily air and artillery strikes across the enclave.