Palestinian family recounts the shooting of a child in southern Gaza as local authorities report more than 1,250 killed since last October’s ceasefire.
The father of an 11-year-old Palestinian boy has said Israeli forces shot his son in the head and leg in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to accounts shared by the family and reported by local media.
Continued violence in Gaza after ceasefire claims more lives:
The incident, described by the child’s father, is the latest reported case of a minor being wounded by gunfire in the southern Gaza Strip. Gaza’s Government Media Office said Israeli attacks since the ceasefire that took effect last October have killed at least 1,259 Palestinians and injured 4,146 others.
Khan Younis has remained one of the most heavily affected areas of Gaza throughout the long-running conflict and its fragile aftermath. Families displaced by earlier military operations continue to live in crowded conditions, often near areas of intermittent Israeli military activity. Medical facilities in the south, including Nasser Hospital, have repeatedly treated children with gunshot wounds, according to health workers and local reports.
The father’s account adds to a pattern of allegations by Palestinian residents and rights groups that children have been struck by live fire in both urban and displacement settings. Israeli authorities have in previous similar cases stated that troops operate in complex environments and have sometimes said incidents are under review, though specific responses to this reported shooting were not immediately available.
Gaza ceasefire fails to end killings of children:
Since the October ceasefire, Palestinian officials and international organisations have documented continued casualties from airstrikes, artillery, and ground fire. The Government Media Office’s figures of more than 1,250 killed and over 4,100 injured reflect the cumulative human cost in the months following the formal halt to large-scale hostilities. Independent verification of individual incidents remains difficult amid restricted access and ongoing security constraints.
For families in Khan Younis, the reported shooting of an 11-year-old boy represents another personal tragedy layered onto years of displacement, loss and insecurity. The child’s condition after the alleged head and leg wounds has not been detailed in initial reports, but such injuries typically require urgent specialised care in a health system already under severe strain.
The broader context is a ceasefire that has failed to fully end violence on the ground. Palestinian authorities continue to call for stronger international protection and accountability, while the daily reality for many Gaza residents remains one of fear that ordinary movement or presence near certain areas can result in catastrophic injury or death, particularly for children.