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Israel attacks kill 9‑year‑old girl in Gaza as ceasefire talks stall
On July 12 2026 Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least six Palestinians, including 9‑year‑old Tala Abu Matar, who was shot by gunfire at a tent encampment in the Al‑Bureij refugee camp. A separate airstrike on a metal foundry in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City killed four people, and an attack on a tent camp in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis killed at least one more person and wounded several others, including children. Other reports from the day list three Palestinians killed and 15 wounded in attacks on motorcycles, police posts and residential areas across the enclave.
The casualties occurred while mediators in Cairo – the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey – pressed on with the US‑brokered ceasefire that has been in place since October 2025. Both sides have repeatedly violated the truce; the Gaza Health Ministry says more than 1,098 Palestinians, including over 260 children, have been killed since the ceasefire began, bringing the overall death toll of the conflict that started on 7 October 2023 to over 73,000 Palestinians. Israeli officials say the strikes targeted "terrorist infrastructure" but often claim no knowledge of civilian deaths.