Gaza sees new civilian deaths, including 9‑year‑old girl, in Israeli attacks
On July 12 2026 Israeli gunfire and drone strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least five Palestinians, including 9‑year‑old Tala Abu Matar, who was hit by gunfire in the Al‑Bureij refugee camp, according to Gaza health officials. A separate airstrike on a metal foundry in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City killed four people, and a drone strike on a blacksmith’s shop in the same area wounded additional civilians.
The incidents occurred while US‑mediated ceasefire talks continued in Cairo, and they breach the October 2025 cease‑fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Gaza’s Health Ministry says the ceasefire has already resulted in 1,098 Palestinian deaths – including over 260 children – and more than 3,500 injuries, bringing the total death toll since the war began in October 2023 to over 73,000.
Negotiations on the second phase of the US‑backed Gaza peace plan, which includes Hamas disarmament and an Israeli troop withdrawal, have so far produced no breakthrough, and the civilian toll continues to rise.