A 27‑year‑old Palestinian woman was killed on Sunday in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, while a child died after being repeatedly denied medical evacuation for treatment, as the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate under ongoing Israeli violations despite the declared ceasefire.
Medical sources confirmed that Basma Aram Banat succumbed to critical wounds she sustained after being shot by Israeli forces approximately two hours earlier in Beit Lahia.
Her killing adds to the growing number of Palestinians shot in northern Gaza in recent days, particularly in areas where displaced families have attempted to return to their homes.
In a separate incident, the child Nidal Abu Rabee’ died after his illness worsened when Israeli authorities repeatedly refused to allow him to leave Gaza for medical treatment, despite his possession of an official medical referral. His sister remains hospitalized at al‑Aqsa Hospital in Deir al‑Balah in central Gaza, awaiting approval to travel for urgent care.
With the killing of Banat, the number of Palestinians killed since the “ceasefire” that took effect on October 11, 2025, has risen to 614, with more than 1,640 injured, according to the Health Ministry.
Israeli bulldozers also carried out limited incursions east of Khan Younis, damaging farmland, and infrastructure, while naval forces fired toward Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza City, forcing them back to shore.
In a separate humanitarian incident, medical sources confirmed that an infant and his mother were rushed to the Shifa Medical Center in Gaza City after suffering severe burns when their tent caught fire.
The blaze erupted while the mother was heating water with wood to bathe her infant. She sustained third‑degree burns and remains in critical condition after shielding her six‑month‑old child, who also suffered burns to several parts of his body.
The broader humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate sharply. Reports from Al Jazeera, WAFA, Quds News Network, and various humanitarian organizations indicate that aid entering the Strip remains severely restricted, with only a fraction of the required supplies allowed in.
Northern Gaza remains largely isolated, with residents reporting widespread hunger, untreated illnesses, and the collapse of essential services.
Israeli quadcopter drones dropped suffocating gas bombs on homes near Al-Shifa Hospital in western Gaza, aiming to forcibly drive exhausted families southward pic.twitter.com/RF4rkoOEsj
— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) February 22, 2026
Hospitals across the Strip are operating at minimal capacity due to shortages of fuel, medical supplies, and surgical equipment, while medical evacuation requests continue to be denied, leaving critically ill patients, including children, without access to lifesaving treatment. Displaced families in Khan Younis and Rafah report that makeshift shelters offer little protection from cold weather, flooding, and disease outbreaks, while the collapse of sewage and waste systems has accelerated the spread of infections, particularly among children.
مشاهد تكشف حجم الدمار الكبير الذي لحق بالمباني والبنية التحتية في بيت لاهيا شمال قطاع غزة نتيجة العدوان الإسرائيلي pic.twitter.com/yM2FPZylpn
— أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif (@AnasAlSharif0) February 22, 2026
Despite the “ceasefire,” Israeli forces continue to carry out violations across the Strip. Field reports document Israeli gunfire near agricultural areas in central Gaza, preventing farmers from accessing their land, while drones continue to hover over residential zones, causing panic among displaced families.
Human rights organizations warn that these actions constitute ongoing violations of the ceasefire and contribute to the deepening humanitarian crisis.
According to the latest verified figures from Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 71,769 Palestinians have been killed and more than 171,483 injured in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, including thousands of women and children, with the majority killed in Israeli airstrikes and ground operations.
The cumulative toll continues to rise as victims trapped under rubble remain unrecovered and as the health system collapses under siege conditions.
