Israeli Strike Hits Bus, Gaza’s civil defence, run by Hamas, reported that eleven people, all belonging to the same family, were killed when their bus was struck by an Israeli tank shell in northern Gaza. The Abu Shaaban family was reportedly trying to return to their home to inspect the damage when the incident occurred in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City on Friday night. This tragedy marks the deadliest single event involving Israeli soldiers in Gaza since the start of the ceasefire eight days ago. According to the Israeli military, the bus was identified as a suspicious vehicle that had crossed the yellow line, a demarcation separating areas still occupied by Israeli forces from those vacated under the ceasefire terms.
Israeli forces continue to operate in more than half of the Gaza Strip, as part of the first phase of the truce agreement. Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP that the victims were members of the Abu Shaaban family who were killed while attempting to check their home. Among the dead were women and children, according to local reports. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that its troops opened fire after the vehicle continued to approach their position despite warning shots. The army stated that the soldiers acted to remove an imminent threat in line with the established ceasefire procedures. However, Hamas accused Israel of targeting the family without justification and violating the terms of the truce. The IDF has repeatedly warned civilians to stay away from areas still under Israeli military control. Yet, many residents say they are unaware of troop locations because Gaza’s yellow demarcation line is not physically marked, and limited internet access prevents them from receiving real-time updates. The BBC has requested coordinates of the site from the Israeli military to verify the event.
Israeli Strike Hits Bus in Gaza, Killing 11 Members of One Family
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Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, announced that the army would begin placing visible signs to mark the yellow line and prevent further civilian casualties. In a related development, Hamas handed over the body of Israeli hostage Eliyahu Margalit to the Red Cross, which transferred it to Israel. Margalit was the tenth deceased hostage returned from Gaza, while the remains of eighteen others have yet to be repatriated. At the same time, Israel returned fifteen Palestinian bodies to Gaza through the Red Cross, bringing the total number of bodies transferred since the ceasefire to 135, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Tensions remain high as both sides accuse each other of delaying the full implementation of the ceasefire terms. Hamas claims Israeli airstrikes have hindered efforts to recover hostages buried under rubble, while Israel insists Hamas must act faster to fulfill its obligations. The ongoing conflict began after Hamas-led gunmen attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Since then, Israeli strikes have killed more than 67,900 people in Gaza, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, which are considered credible by the United Nations.
