As reported by Anadolu Agency, a Palestinian man was shot dead on Monday in the al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, in an area from which Israeli forces had withdrawn under a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025. Medical sources cited by Anadolu Agency said the victim, identified as Mohammed Khaled Abed, was killed by Israeli gunfire that struck him in the head in the al-Zarqa area of al-Tuffah. According to Anadolu Agency, witnesses said Israeli forces had previously evacuated the al-Zarqa area as part of the ceasefire terms, which included a partial pullback from parts of Gaza City. The incident occurred amid what Palestinian authorities describe as continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire that paused a two-year war in the Gaza Strip.
According to Anadolu Agency, the same round of fire also left a young girl wounded in southern Gaza. Medical sources told the outlet that the girl, named Badria Issam Saqr, was injured by Israeli gunfire in the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, an area designated as a “safe zone” for displaced civilians under the ceasefire framework. The report said she was taken for treatment after being hit, though no further medical details were provided. Anadolu Agency added that both shootings took place in areas that are formally covered by the truce arrangements between Israel and Palestinian factions.
According to Anadolu Agency’s summary of the broader conflict, the ceasefire halted a two-year Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 171,400 others since October 2023, according to figures cited from Gaza health authorities. The agency reported that despite the truce, Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 484 people have been killed and 1,321 others injured since the agreement came into force, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire on the ground.
What are the reactions and wider context?
According to Anadolu Agency, Palestinian officials and residents accuse Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire deal by opening fire on civilians in areas explicitly covered by the truce. The outlet reported that Palestinian sources view the latest killing in al-Tuffah and the wounding of a child near Khan Younis as part of a pattern of incidents that have continued despite international efforts to stabilize the ceasefire.
Other recent reporting from regional and international media outlets has highlighted similar claims of violations in Gaza during the same ceasefire period. For example, Anadolu Agency separately reported earlier in January that Israeli forces killed children and wounded several others in Gaza in incidents described as breaches of the truce. A report by TRT World described additional ceasefire violations involving Palestinian casualties, illustrating ongoing tensions despite formal de-escalation arrangements.
While the Anadolu Agency report did not include an official Israeli military response to this specific shooting, previous coverage by international media has noted that Israel typically frames such incidents as responses to perceived threats or security concerns near its forces. In the absence of comment specific to this case, Anadolu Agency focused on Palestinian accounts and casualty figures to document the impact of the gunfire on civilians.
Supporting details and additional reporting
According to Anadolu Agency, the ceasefire now in place was intended to halt active combat operations and facilitate a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of Gaza while allowing humanitarian aid to expand. Other outlets have reported that the truce framework was linked to arrangements over hostages, detainee releases, and safe corridors for civilians, creating a complex security environment in which localized incidents can rapidly escalate.
Reporting by Anadolu Agency indicates that in al-Tuffah, the area where Abed was killed, residents had begun to return or move more freely after Israeli forces withdrew under the ceasefire. The al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis, where the child was injured, has been used as a shelter zone for people displaced from other parts of the Strip, intensifying concern when violence occurs there. According to Anadolu Agency, both locations are explicitly within zones that the ceasefire was meant to demilitarize, at least partially, for civilian safety.
International media coverage over recent days has described multiple incidents in which Palestinian civilians, including children, were reportedly hit by Israeli fire while collecting firewood or moving in open areas in Gaza, raising fresh questions about how the ceasefire is being implemented on the ground. These accounts, together with the Anadolu Agency report, contribute to a growing body of documentation on alleged ceasefire violations and civilian harm.
What are the implications and what comes next?
According to Anadolu Agency, Palestinian authorities argue that repeated killings and injuries in formally protected zones undermine confidence in the ceasefire and heighten fears among displaced families who believed these areas to be relatively safer. Humanitarian agencies and rights groups, in separate reporting by other outlets, have warned that any erosion of the truce could further restrict aid delivery and worsen already dire living conditions in Gaza.
Future developments will likely depend on how ceasefire guarantors and international mediators respond to continuing incidents involving civilian casualties. Previous rounds of negotiations, as reported by international media, have centered on tightening monitoring mechanisms, clarifying the rules of engagement in buffer zones, and pressing both sides to adhere strictly to agreed terms. Any formal investigation into this latest shooting, if launched, would be closely watched by human rights organizations and diplomatic actors seeking to preserve the ceasefire.
In this incident, as reported by Anadolu Agency, one Palestinian man lost his life and a young girl was wounded in areas meant to be protected under a ceasefire that was supposed to bring respite after two years of war in Gaza. The shootings add to a mounting toll of casualties recorded since the truce began, reinforcing concerns over its durability and the safety of civilians living in or returning to designated “safe” zones.
