Seven killed in Gaza as Israeli strikes continue despite ceasefire
Seven people were killed in separate Israeli strikes across Gaza on Thursday, October 8, according to Gaza's civil defense rescue service, while the Israeli army stated that three of the victims were "military operatives."
Six of the seven fatalities occurred in various parts of Gaza City. Two people were killed in a drone strike on a car, while another person died in a drone attack on a tent in an encampment for displaced people, according to the rescue service and al-Shifa hospital.
The Israeli army told Agence France-Presse that the three individuals targeted were "military operatives in terrorist organizations."
The civil defense service reported that "two people, a woman and a child, were killed and others were wounded when Israeli aircraft bombed a residential building" in Gaza City. The service added that "one person was killed by Israeli fire southeast of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza." A woman was also killed by artillery shelling in Gaza City, health officials reported.
The Israeli army stated it was checking the reports about the other four victims.
Hamas denies hospital militant activity claims
Hamas on Thursday rejected Israeli claims that it uses Gaza hospitals for military activities, following the army's Wednesday statement that militants "advanced attacks from within Kamal Adwan hospital" in northern Gaza. Hamas called the accusations "criminal incitement" in a statement.
Kamal Adwan Hospital has been among several medical facilities in northern Gaza that have been repeatedly affected by the conflict. In late December 2024, Israeli forces raided the hospital, with sections set on fire and its director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, detained. The facility was forced out of service following that operation.
Casualties mount since ceasefire
Israel's military offensive against the Islamist group has displaced approximately 1.9 million Palestinians—about 90% of Gaza's population—with many displaced multiple times. The campaign has killed more than 74,200 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, which is under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations. The ministry does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its casualty counts.
The war began after Hamas launched an attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people, including around 815-828 civilians, with 251 people taken hostage to Gaza.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10, 2025, following a US-brokered agreement announced by President Trump. This marked the second major ceasefire of the war after a January 2025 agreement that later collapsed. However, since the October ceasefire was declared, Israeli forces have killed at least 1,450 people in Gaza, according to the ministry. The Israeli military has declared the deaths of five soldiers and one civilian contractor in the same period.
The conflict has caused widespread destruction across Gaza. By November 2024, approximately 60% of Gaza's residential buildings had been damaged or destroyed, along with 80% of commercial facilities and 68% of the road network, according to assessments by humanitarian organizations.
