Israeli bombardment kills 11 civilians from one family in Gaza amid ceasefire violations

In what is considered the deadliest incident since the ceasefire agreement came into effect two weeks ago, 11 Palestinians from one family were killed, including seven children and three women yesterday evening, as a result of an Israeli bombardment targeting a civilian vehicle east of Gaza City, according to medical sources and eyewitnesses.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, stated in an official statement that the bombardment targeted a vehicle carrying members of the Abu Shaban family as they were returning home in the Zeitoun neighborhood, east of Gaza, resulting in the death of all those inside.

Basal confirmed that among the victims were seven children, three women, and one man, noting that rescue teams faced significant difficulties in retrieving the bodies due to the dangerous conditions at the bombardment site.

Eyewitnesses mentioned that the Israeli shell directly hit the vehicle after it crossed an area classified as a "yellow line"; these are areas that the occupation forces prohibit civilians from approaching, raising questions about the targeting intentions and the extent of respect for the rules of engagement during the ceasefire.

Despite the gravity of the massacre, no immediate comment was issued by the Israeli army regarding the incident at the time of publishing the news.

This escalation comes at a time when calm was supposed to prevail, following a ceasefire agreement reached through Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediation, with support from the United States, which came into effect since the Friday before last.

According to a statement issued by the Gaza Center for Human Rights on Thursday, 36 violations of the ceasefire by the Israeli army have been documented since its implementation, while the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that 23 Palestinians were killed, and 122 others were injured during the same period.

In a related context, Avichai Adraee, spokesperson for the Israeli army, stated in a previous statement on Friday that an Israeli warplane targeted a group of "militants" who emerged from a tunnel in Khan Younis in the southern sector and approached army positions, considering this a "immediate and direct threat".

Adraee added that another group emerged from a tunnel in Rafah and fired at Israeli forces, without causing any injuries. He confirmed that the army will continue to deploy in the sector "according to the ceasefire agreement plan" and will not hesitate to "remove any immediate threat," as he put it.

This massacre comes amid an anticipated visit by the international envoy, who is heading to Egypt and Israel next Sunday, as part of efforts to push for the implementation of the stalled Gaza agreement, amid rising fears of a complete collapse of the ceasefire.