Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire pounded multiple parts of the Gaza Strip early Thursday, killing civilians, including children and journalists, and underscoring the fragility of a cease-fire meant to halt nearly two years of devastating war.

Warplanes and ground forces struck eastern Gaza City, the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, and eastern Khan Younis in the south, according to eyewitnesses and hospital officials.

The attacks hit areas where Israeli troops maintain buffer zones and security perimeters despite a truce that took effect Oct. 10, 2025.

Hospitals said at least 11 Palestinians were killed Wednesday alone, one of the deadliest days since the cease-fire began.

Among them were two 13-year-old boys, three journalists and a woman. Several others were wounded.

In eastern Bureij, Israeli drones struck a group that included a 13-year-old boy, his father and another man, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

It was not immediately clear whether they had entered Israeli-controlled areas.

In a separate incident, Israeli troops shot and killed another 13-year-old, Moatsem al-Sharafy, in the town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis, Nasser Hospital said.

The boy’s mother, Safaa al-Sharafy, said he had gone out to gather firewood so she could cook.

"He left hungry,” she told The Associated Press through tears. "He said he would come back quickly.”

Three Palestinian journalists were killed when an Israeli strike hit their vehicle near a newly established displacement camp in the Netzarim area, said Mohammed Mansour, a spokesperson for the Egyptian-backed committee managing the site. Video showed the burned-out vehicle smoking on the roadside.

Israel’s military said it targeted suspects operating a drone that posed a threat to its forces. Mansour said the vehicle was known to the Israeli military and was operating about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Israeli-controlled territory.

One of the journalists, Abdul Raouf Shaat, was a frequent contributor to Agence France-Presse, though not on assignment at the time.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) demanded a full investigation, calling Shaat a "kind-hearted colleague.” The Committee to Protect Journalists says more than 200 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the war began in 2023.

Israeli forces also killed a Palestinian woman in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis and shelled the Bureij camp, killing three brothers, hospital officials said.

Cease-fire violations

The strikes come amid mounting allegations of cease-fire violations.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 470 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the truce began, including at least 77 shot near cease-fire lines dividing Israeli-held areas from the rest of the territory.

The ministry’s casualty figures are considered generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.

Israel continues to control large swaths of Gaza’s eastern and southern buffer zones, including the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egyptian border and parts of northern Gaza.

Humanitarian groups estimate Israeli-controlled areas now cover more than half of the enclave, restricting movement, farming and reconstruction.

The cease-fire, brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, was meant to advance in phases.

The first phase focused on returning hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, incursion on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people.

All but one hostage, living or dead, have been returned.

Relatives of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old Israeli police officer killed during the attack, renewed calls Wednesday for Israel and the U.S. to recover his remains.

Hamas said it had shared all available information with mediators and accused Israel of blocking searches in areas under its control.

Talks on a second phase, including Hamas’ disarmament and governance reforms, remain stalled, with both sides accusing the other of bad faith.

Deepening humanitarian crisis

Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate.

Israel has sharply restricted aid deliveries since late 2025, suspending permits for dozens of international aid groups. U.N. agencies warn of growing risks of famine, disease and mass displacement among Gaza’s roughly 2.3 million residents.

More than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive in response to the 2023 Hamas incursion, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, figures backed by U.N. agencies. Nearly 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

Regional spillover

Israeli strikes also continued beyond Gaza. Israel’s air force said it hit Hezbollah weapons storage sites in southern Lebanon and struck border crossings near Syria used for arms smuggling.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 19 people, including journalists, were wounded in southern villages, while drone strikes killed two others.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attacks as "systematic aggression,” as near-daily Israeli strikes persist despite a separate cease-fire that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war more than a year ago.