Israeli artillery and helicopter attacks struck the coastal al-Mawasi area despite a United States-brokered ceasefire, killing a five-year-old girl and her uncle and wounding four others, including children, Gaza officials said.
The latest killings brought the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the truce took effect in October to at least 422, according to Gaza health authorities.
The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis said the deadly strike hit a tent housing displaced families in an area previously designated by Israel as a so-called safe zone.
In response, the Israeli military claimed it had struck a Hamas fighter who was allegedly planning an imminent attack on Israeli forces.
However, the military provided no evidence for its claim, and it was unclear whether the statement referred to the strike on the tent.
Meanwhile, Palestinian officials say Israeli forces have continued near-daily attacks across Gaza despite the ceasefire, while maintaining severe restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid.
Much of the enclave has been devastated by Israel’s genocidal war, with roughly 88 percent of buildings damaged or destroyed, Palestinian authorities say.
Most of Gaza’s two million residents are now living in tents, makeshift shelters or damaged buildings in areas vacated by Israeli troops.
Separately, the Palestinian Civil Defense said another Palestinian home previously damaged by Israeli strikes collapsed in the central Maghazi refugee camp on Monday.
The collapse killed a 29-year-old father and his eight-year-old son, the rescue service said.
In a subsequent statement, the Civil Defense said it was unable to respond to many emergency calls because of a lack of equipment and ongoing fuel shortages caused by Israeli restrictions.
The current Gaza ceasefire, agreed after more than two years of Israeli attacks that killed more than 71,000 Palestinians, is being implemented in phases.
The first phase includes exchanges of captives and prisoners, increased humanitarian aid, and the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
Hamas has freed all remaining living captives and returned dozens of bodies, except for one, while Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners, including some serving life sentences.
Humanitarian groups say Israeli restrictions continue to obstruct aid deliveries, while the Rafah crossing remains closed.
The crossing had been Gaza’s only outlet to the outside world before the Israeli military occupied the Palestinian side in May 2024.
Israel’s Kan broadcaster reported on January 1 that Israeli authorities were preparing to reopen the crossing in “both directions” following pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.
If confirmed, the move would mark a shift from an earlier Israeli policy that limited the crossing to the exit of Gaza residents only.
That policy drew condemnation from regional governments, including Egypt and Qatar, whose officials warned against the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
The report has raised cautious hopes among Palestinians.
Tasnim Jaras, a student in Gaza City, said it was her “dream that the crossing opens so we can continue our education”.
Moaeen al-Jarousha, who was wounded in the war, said he needed to leave Gaza urgently for medical treatment abroad.
“I need immediate medical intervention. I live in very difficult conditions,” he said.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said Palestinians have waited a long time for the crossing to reopen.
“For many, this isn’t about travel, it’s about survival. Parents are asking about medical access they haven’t been able to obtain over the past two years. Students think of this as an opportunity to continue their education,” he said.
“And for many families, this is an opportunity to reunite with family members who have been separated for too long. But hope here is never simple. People here have heard about these announcements numerous times, and many recall how quickly it shut again,” he added.
Meanwhile, witnesses said Israeli forces continued demolishing residential homes in Gaza City’s eastern Zeitoun neighborhood on Monday.
Israel retains control of about 53 percent of the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian sources.
The Israeli military also said it attacked a Palestinian who crossed the so-called “yellow line” in southern Gaza, claiming the strike aimed at “removing the threat”.
No evidence was provided for the claim.