Earlier this week, an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building in the Bureij refugee camp, killing six people, including Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Wishah and at least one child. Health officials and rescuers reported the fatalities, and the strike was confirmed by the Gaza Health Ministry, which has identified 1,007 deaths since the cease‑fire took effect in October.
Al Jazeera condemned the attack, calling it a "new and flagrant violation" of international norms and accusing the Israeli military of systematically targeting journalists. The IDF, however, identified Wishah as a Hamas "terrorist" and claimed that he had participated in sniper operations against Israeli forces. Neither side has provided verifiable evidence to support their allegations.
The strike also came after the Israeli military reportedly killed four family members in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, including two women and a child, according to hospital staff and the Gaza civil defence. Witnesses in the area said the house was struck around 02:00 local time, and relatives protested that they were civilians involved in no conflicts.
Israel and Hamas have each accused the other of violating the cease‑fire agreement, which was meant to guarantee humanitarian access and disarm and remove Hamas from Gaza’s governance. The United Nations says that aid delivery has improved, with food‑hungry households dropping from 92% to 36% since the cease‑fire. Yet, the U.N.’s humanitarian chief warns that 70% of Gaza’s population still lacks proper shelter and sees sanitation services deteriorating.
The conflict, which began with Hamas‑led attacks on Israeli territory in October 2023, has resulted in more than 73,000 deaths in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Since the cease‑fire, efforts have been made to hand over control of Gaza back to Palestinian authorities, but progress has stalled.
In the meantime, an international “Board of Peace” has been set up to oversee an apolitical Palestinian technocrat committee that could govern Gaza once Hamas’ political role is removed.
As fighting and humanitarian crises continue, the incident highlights the urgent need to honour protection protocols and ensure that civilians—and journalists—are not caught in the crossfire.
