An Israeli airstrike killed a 16-year-old Palestinian girl on Monday as she walked to her high school to take an exam in Gaza City, according to relatives and medical officials. Raghad Hassan Ashour was heading to her 11th-grade test when the blast occurred on a busy street in the Rimal district, a relative, Jameel Ashour, said.
Details of the Incident
The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted a Hamas militant but acknowledged reports that an “uninvolved individual was harmed.” The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that three other people were injured in strikes in the same area. Videos of the aftermath showed crowds around two destroyed vehicles, with rescue workers at the scene and bloodstains visible on the ground.
Mourning and Funeral
Dozens of Palestinians, including Ashour's mother, gathered to mourn the girl after her body was taken to Shifa Hospital. Funeral processions carried her body, with mourners reacting emotionally. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from local and international observers.
Broader Context of Violence
Israel has continued to launch strikes in Gaza despite a ceasefire agreement reached in October. The military says it targets Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, accusing the group of violating the ceasefire. However, civilians have also been killed. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip have killed over 1,000 Palestinians since the ceasefire, while five Israeli soldiers have been killed during the same period.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed 73,018 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, the Gaza Health Ministry said. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records that are generally considered reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.
