GAZA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least nine Palestinians were killed on Sunday morning by Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian official said.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes launched several airstrikes at dawn, targeting Khan Younis, a southern Gaza city, and Jabalia camp in the north of the enclave, resulting in multiple casualties.
Basal said five people in their twenties were killed and others injured by an Israeli airstrike that hit a gathering of Palestinians near the Turkish slaughterhouse area, west of Khan Younis.
He added that four Palestinians were killed, and three others injured by an Israeli strike targeting a tent sheltering displaced persons near the Telecommunications Junction, west of the Jabalia refugee camp.
Meanwhile, local sources and eyewitnesses said the Israeli army carried out large-scale demolitions of residential buildings around Sheikh Zayed roundabout, north of Jabalia camp, accompanied by artillery shelling and heavy gunfire from military vehicles in the area.
At the same time, the army reportedly demolished additional buildings east of Jabalia, while artillery shelled areas near Al-Sanafour roundabout in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, causing shrapnel to scatter near Palestinian homes, according to the sources.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on the latest strikes.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement on Saturday, saying they had identified "several armed terrorists" in the northern Gaza Strip, likely emerging from underground infrastructure.
The IDF claimed the armed individuals were hiding under debris near the Yellow Line, posing a threat to the safety of IDF troops.
The IDF characterized this as a violation of the ceasefire agreement, saying that in ensuing strikes, the IDF killed two of the "terrorists" and likely eliminated others.
Since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Israeli forces have killed 591 Palestinians and injured 1,598 others, according to figures released by the Gaza-based health authorities on Saturday. ■
