Children and Fishermen Among 13 Killed as Israel Intensifies Gaza Bombardment

Israeli forces have killed at least 13 Palestinians in Gaza since Sunday, including children, a fisherman and police officers, escalating a campaign of violence that has pushed monthly death tolls to their highest level this year. The attacks come despite a US-mediated ceasefire that was supposed to end more than two years of destruction across the Gaza Strip.

Children and Fishermen Among 13 Killed as Israel Intensifies Gaza Bombardment

Gaza City, Palestine – June 8, 2026 — The renewed wave of attacks has struck displaced families in tents, killed a teenager and a young fisherman at sea, and wiped out an entire family as they slept. Aid crossings have been closed and reopened amid wider regional hostilities, while hospitals warn of impending shutdowns as fuel and medicine run out.

The Renewed Wave of Violence Across Gaza

Israeli forces have killed at least 13 Palestinians in Gaza since Sunday, including children, a fisherman and police officers, according to reports from the Palestinian health ministry and local media. Nine deaths occurred on Sunday and four more on Monday. These incidents form part of an intensified pattern of attacks that has raised monthly death tolls to their highest level this year.

Strikes have struck displaced families in tents in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza, killing two civilians. Another attack in Jabalia in the north killed two people, one of them a child. Such actions continue despite the US-brokered ceasefire signed in October that was intended to halt two years of widespread destruction.

Specific Losses Among Children and Fishermen

Fourteen-year-old Hadeel Ayman Jundiya died from injuries sustained in earlier strikes in Gaza City. In the Rimal neighbourhood, four people were killed when forces targeted civilians inside a vehicle near Palestine Square. These cases illustrate the direct impact on young residents and families going about daily routines.

At sea, Israeli naval forces fired on fishing boats off the coast of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, killing 15-year-old fisherman Muhammad Musa Abu Giab. Zakaria Bakr, coordinator of the Union of Fishermen's Committees in Gaza, noted that other fishermen in the area were also arrested. Such incidents disrupt livelihoods tied to the sea and add to the toll on coastal communities.

In southern Gaza, five Palestinians were killed during an Israeli strike on a police checkpoint west of Khan Younis. These events compound the sense of insecurity felt by residents who already navigate restricted movement and limited resources.

The Lubbad Family Wiped Out in Overnight Strikes

Israeli bombardment killed at least nine Palestinians in pre-dawn attacks on Thursday. The strikes hit at least four residential apartments in western and southern Gaza City while residents were asleep. Five members of the Lubbad family, a father, mother and their three children, were killed when their apartment was struck.

Only one child, Hala Lubbad, survived, suffering minor injuries. The Palestinian Civil Defence described the scenes at the site as difficult and horrifying, noting that a fire broke out inside one of the apartments. Rescue teams faced harrowing conditions while searching for survivors and recovering victims from the rubble.

Local media reported that at least 15 people were wounded in the attacks. These strikes come as forces intensify operations across the Gaza Strip even after the October ceasefire agreement.

Closure of Aid Crossings and Shortages

The Israeli military's coordinator of activities in Gaza and the West Bank announced on Sunday that the Karem Abu Salem crossing was closed following renewed conflict with Iran. The crossing was reportedly reopened on Monday morning, yet fears persist that ongoing hostilities could further disrupt aid entry into Gaza.

Aid supplies have already fallen significantly below required levels in recent months due to severe restrictions, despite the ceasefire. The agreement aimed to facilitate humanitarian aid, yet only an average of 200 trucks per day have entered compared with the agreed 600. UN agencies, human rights organisations and Palestinian witnesses continue to raise alarms over severe shortages of food, water, fuel, medicine and other essential supplies.

These restrictions push Gaza into renewed crisis, affecting food security and medical access for families already coping with displacement and loss.

Ceasefire Violations and Monthly Death Tolls

Israeli forces killed at least 119 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in May, the highest monthly death toll recorded this year, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. At least 19 children and 10 women were among those killed. During the past 24 hours alone, 11 new Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement were recorded.

Local news outlets reported heavy gunfire from Israeli military vehicles targeting eastern Khan Younis and attacks on eastern areas of the Jabalia refugee camp. Since October, Israel has committed more than 3,000 violations across Gaza, ranging from shelling and air strikes to the direct targeting of civilians and destruction of residential areas.

As a result, more than 933 people have been killed and a further 2,868 wounded since the ceasefire began. At least 82 people have also been abducted by Israeli forces during the same period. This brings the overall death toll since October 2023 to nearly 73,000, with a further 170,000 wounded.

Impact on Healthcare and Long-Term Survival

Israeli forces have continued to expand control on the ground, now holding around 60 percent of Gaza and seeking to increase that figure. Forces have also continued to demolish homes and severely restrict humanitarian aid. Gaza's health ministry warned this week that more than 4,000 cancer patients are at risk due to severe shortages of medicines and essential treatments.

Fuel shortages have forced hospitals to suspend some services, with dialysis units, neonatal care incubators, intensive care units and medical laboratories at risk of closures. These conditions affect daily survival for residents who rely on consistent medical support amid ongoing displacement.

Hamas condemned the violations. In a pre-recorded speech, the movement's military spokesperson Abu Obeida condemned the daily killing of people and resistance fighters. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem rejected allegations that the movement was unwilling to relinquish control of Gaza, describing them as misleading lies aimed at providing cover for continued aggression. Since the ceasefire came into effect in October, progress towards the second phase has been hampered by continued attacks.