World July 12, 2026 08:19 AM

Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill Three, Including a 9-Year-Old Girl, Medics Say

Gunfire at refugee camp and an airstrike on a foundry leave multiple dead as diplomatic talks continue in Cairo

By Avery Klein
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Palestinian health officials reported that Israeli strikes on Sunday killed at least three people in the Gaza Strip, including a 9-year-old girl killed by gunfire at a tent encampment in Al-Bureij and two people killed in an airstrike on a metal foundry in Gaza City's Sabra neighbourhood. Israel's military said it had targeted "terrorist" infrastructure. The violence comes amid diplomatic talks in Cairo over implementing the second phase of a Gaza peace plan.

Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill Three, Including a 9-Year-Old Girl, Medics Say
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Key Points

  • At least three people were killed in Gaza on Sunday, including 9-year-old Tala Abu Matar who medics said was hit by Israeli gunfire at a tent encampment in the Al-Bureij refugee camp.
  • An airstrike on a metal foundry in Gaza City's Sabra neighbourhood killed two people; witnesses said three missiles struck the site and Israel said it targeted "terrorist" infrastructure.
  • Relevant sectors affected by the events include defense and security (due to ongoing military operations), humanitarian aid and relief organizations (given widespread displacement and tent encampments), and regional infrastructure and reconstruction efforts.

Israeli fire and an airstrike on Sunday resulted in at least three deaths in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials said, among them a 9-year-old girl identified by medics as Tala Abu Matar.

Medical personnel reported that gunfire struck a tent encampment on the eastern edge of the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, killing the child. Israeli military officials did not immediately provide comment on the specific circumstances of her death.

Separately, two people were killed when a metal foundry in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City was struck. Witnesses at the scene described the site being hit with three missiles. Israel's military said it had struck what it described as "terrorist" infrastructure, without giving further detail.


The latest fatalities occurred despite a ceasefire that took effect in October 2025 and halted major fighting across the enclave. That agreement has not prevented intermittent Israeli operations that, according to Palestinian authorities, have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians since the ceasefire began. Over the same period, militants operating in Gaza have killed four Israeli soldiers, the reporting says.

Sunday's incidents coincided with a visit by Hamas leaders to Cairo for further discussions aimed at implementing the second phase of the U.S. President's Gaza peace plan. Sources close to the talks said the agenda includes Hamas disarmament and withdrawals of Israeli forces, but that there had not yet been a breakthrough in negotiations.

Humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain severe. Nearly all of the territory's roughly 2 million residents live within a narrow coastal strip under Hamas control, and most have been displaced multiple times. Large portions of the population reside in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.

The reporting also includes casualty tallies from past events: Israeli authorities say Hamas-led fighters killed 1,200 people during their cross-border attack into Israel on October 7, 2023. The Gaza health ministry has reported that more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since then.


The incidents on Sunday underline persistent violence and uncertainty in Gaza even after the ceasefire took effect, and they occur alongside ongoing diplomatic efforts to advance the peace plan's next phase.

Risks

  • Continued Israeli strikes despite the October 2025 ceasefire raise the risk of further civilian casualties and disruptions to humanitarian operations in Gaza, affecting aid delivery and relief logistics.
  • Stalled progress in Cairo talks on disarmament and Israeli withdrawals creates uncertainty over the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza peace plan, prolonging political and security instability.
  • High levels of displacement and dense living conditions along the narrow coastal strip increase vulnerability to future attacks and complicate reconstruction and public-health responses.

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