The Palestinian Health Ministry has confirmed that Israeli army missiles have killed a pregnant Palestinian mother, and her infant daughter, 18 months of age, in central Gaza. The mother was nine months pregnant.
Dr. Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza, has confirmed that the soldiers killed a pregnant woman, identified as Enas Mohammad Abu Khammash, 23, and her child Bayan Abu Khammash, 18 months, in their home in al-Ja’farawi area, in Gaza’s Central District.
He added that the bombardment also caused moderate wounds to Enas’s husband, Mohammad Khammash.
Furthermore, the soldiers injured at least twelve Palestinians in ongoing Israeli bombardment of several parts of the Gaza Strip, and earlier killed one Palestinian, identified as Ali al-Ghandour, 30.
In addition, the Israeli Air Force fired three missiles at a concrete factory, and three other missiles into a nearby area, northwest of Gaza city.
Media sources in Gaza said Israeli missiles also struck sites, run by armed resistance groups, in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, while more missiles were fired from drones into sites in the Sudaniyya area, northwest of Gaza city, and Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza.
Also on Wednesday, the army fired several missiles into various areas of the Gaza Strip, including a building in the Sudaniyya area of northern Gaza, which was first struck by three missiles, followed by an additional six missiles, just minutes later.
The Israeli army said it targeted several Hamas centers in Gaza, reportedly when six Israelis were injured in the Sderot settlement, in the Negev, “after eight shells were fired from Gaza”.
Israeli Ynet News said that one Israeli man, aged 23, was injured by shrapnel in his leg, and added that “two pregnant women in addition to a man, 42 years of age, were treated for shock,” before being moved to Barzilai Hospital.
It alleged that Hamas fighters fired live rounds at “civil engineering equipment”, used as part of a “anti-tunnel barrier’” which is being built along the barrier with Gaza, causing damage, before the army fire a tank shell at a Hamas post.
Hamas said its fighters fired shells into nearby army posts, in retaliation to Israeli bombardment of the coastal region, and added that it has no Interest in escalation.
Hamas leaders said that they are holding talks with Egypt, to restore calm to the region, and to avoid a potentially serious military escalation.
For its part, the Israeli army said it raised the alert level along the border with Gaza, after noticing that Hamas fighters were evacuated from their posts along the border, a move that Hamas said was meant to ensure their safety, and avoid further escalation, while the army considered it as part of preparation for potential escalation.
On Tuesday, the Israeli army killed two Hamas fighters, identified as Ahmad Abdullah Morjan, 23, and Abdul-Hafeth Mohammad Seelawi, 23, in northern Gaza.
The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, issued a statement denouncing the Israeli assassination of two of its fighters, in northern Gaza, and holding Israel accountable for any future escalation.
It stated that the two fighters were part of a military training in “Asqalan” center, one of its training locations in northern Gaza, and that many Palestinians, including political leaders of Hamas, were in attendance.
