GAZA CITY, Palestine: At least five Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire on Thursday, while a three-month-old infant died from hypothermia amid a severe cold wave in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian authorities reported.
Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said four members of the same family were killed when an Israeli artillery shell struck the Zeitoun neighbourhood, south of the city.
In the southern Gaza Strip, a Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis, according to Nasser Medical Complex.
Eyewitnesses and local sources, cited by Al Jazeera, reported extensive home demolitions by Israeli forces east of Khan Younis.
Gunfire from Israeli helicopters and machine-gun fire from military vehicles were also reported in eastern parts of Bureij refugee camp.
Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes in northern Gaza. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Infant dies amid cold wave
The Palestinian Civil Defence confirmed the death of three-month-old Ali Abu Zur due to hypothermia in central Gaza.
Health authorities highlighted the risks posed by the ongoing cold, particularly for displaced persons in temporary shelters.
Rising casualty figures
Since the October 10, 2025 ceasefire, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reports that 477 Palestinians have been killed and 1,301 injured.
Overall, at least 71,562 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 171,379 injured in Israeli bombardment campaign in Gaza since October 7, 2023, the territory’s health ministry reported.
Medical sources said that 11 bodies and seven injured people were received by hospitals across the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday.
Several victims remain trapped under rubble in areas where ambulances and civil defence teams have not yet reached.
Journalists among the dead
On Wednesday, three Palestinian journalists were killed while documenting displaced persons’ camps in central Gaza, bringing the total number of media workers killed since the conflict began to 293, according to press advocacy groups.
Abdul Raouf Shaat, a regular contributor to Agence France-Presse (AFP), was among the dead.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have maintained a presence in key areas of Gaza and the West Bank.
Authorities in Gaza reported tank shelling in Zeitoun, eastern Gaza City, and Khan Younis.
Illegal Israeli settlers, under military protection, entered evacuated illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, while Israeli forces carried out raids near Jenin, Nablus, and Hebron.
Reopening of Rafah crossing
Meanwhile, Ali Shaath, head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza under the US-led Board of Peace, announced that the Rafah border crossing with Egypt will reopen next week for two-way travel.
Shaath described the crossing as a “lifeline and symbol of opportunity” for Gaza.
The ceasefire signed on October 10, 2025, marked a pause after two years of Israeli bombardment.
Health officials in Gaza report that Israeli strikes have continued.
