Several Palestinians were killed and others wounded Wednesday in an Israeli strike on a vehicle near the American Hospital in central Gaza, Palestinian media reported, as the IDF said it carried out a targeted attack against suspects operating a Hamas-linked drone that posed a threat to its troops.
According to the Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network, the vehicle struck in central Gaza belonged to the Egyptian committee overseeing reconstruction in the Strip. Palestinian reports said the strike took place near the hospital, in a densely populated area.
Cairo seeks clarifications after IDF strike on Egyptian committee vehicle in central Gaza
The IDF said earlier Wednesday its forces identified several suspects operating a drone associated with the Hamas terror group in central Gaza, in an area the military said threatened Israeli forces.
“Immediately after the identification, and due to the risk posed by the drone, the IDF carried out a targeted strike against the suspects operating it,” the military said. The strike was conducted in accordance with the required chain of approvals, the statement added.
Following the attack, Egypt lodged a sharp protest with Israel and demanded clarifications regarding the incident, according to Palestinian sources.
Earlier Wednesday, Palestinian sources reported that five additional Palestinians were killed in separate incidents involving Israeli artillery fire and gunfire by Israeli forces in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Gaza’s Government Media Office, which operates under Hamas rule, claimed Wednesday that Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement in Gaza 1,300 times since it was signed. The office alleged the violations resulted in the deaths of 483 civilians and the wounding of 1,287 others, citing 430 shooting incidents and 604 strikes and shelling attacks. Israel has rejected similar claims in the past.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported that senior Hamas commanders are preparing to leave the Gaza Strip as part of progress toward a second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which the paper said was led by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The report, citing three Hamas sources from field and command levels, said the departures would take place after arrangements are made regarding Gaza’s future governance.
Palestinian sources who spoke with ynet said the emerging framework is based on a formula under which a technocratic administration would enter Gaza only alongside the departure of certain Hamas figures, including Izz ad-Din Haddad, a senior commander in Hamas’ military wing.
It remains unclear whether Haddad, who made combative statements ahead of the Israeli military operation Gideon’s Chariots II and vowed a “long and difficult battle,” would leave Gaza voluntarily. According to the Palestinian sources, Turkey has been discussed as a potential destination.
Asharq Al-Awsat also reported that several senior figures from Hamas’ political and military wings in Gaza who survived more than two years of fighting with Israel and are not widely known publicly are preparing for a safe exit from the territory. One source said the departures would be voluntary and coordinated fully with Hamas leadership abroad, while another said some commanders, particularly within the military wing, have firmly refused to leave Gaza.