At least five people were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza on Tuesday, among them a nine-year-old boy identified as Adel al-Najjar. According to authorities at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the child was collecting firewood in the eastern part of the city when he was struck by Israeli fire. The location lies roughly 400 metres west of the so-called Yellow Line, which demarcates Israeli-controlled territory from the rest of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military has not commented on the incident. Sabreen al-Najjar, a relative of the boy, expressed anguish over the recurring violence: “Every day they target children. What is the guilt of those children? Tell me, what is the guilt of these children? Do they carry weapons or tanks? They go to collect cardboard boxes (and firewood) for their mothers so they can cook and eat, just to eat and drink.”
Separately, four men were killed when an Israeli strike hit a car in Gaza City, according to Shifa Hospital. The Israeli army stated it struck “a terrorist” in Gaza City but provided no further details. Since the October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Gaza health officials report that Israeli forces have killed at least 818 Palestinians, including 226 children and 179 women. The broader conflict has drawn international concern, with a UN report documenting 38,000 women and girls killed in Gaza during the 2023-2025 conflict.
Evacuation of Sick and Injured Children to Jordan
On Monday, 81 sick and injured children, accompanied by their families, were evacuated from Gaza to receive medical treatment in Jordan. They crossed via the King Hussein Bridge and were transported to various government and private hospitals in the capital, Amman. The evacuation is part of a Jordanian initiative to provide urgent medical care to 2,000 children, coordinated with the World Health Organisation. Since 4 March 2025, more than 450 children needing treatment have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip.
Saleh Zeidan, the father of an injured girl, described his daughter’s ordeal: “My daughter was injured; there are shrapnel fragments inside her body. My daughter Duaa's hand was amputated, and two platinum rods were inserted into her fingers. After that, we received assistance from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, who agreed to provide Duaa with a prosthetic hand and a bone graft for her finger.”
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with civilian casualties continuing to mount. The evacuation of children to Jordan underscores the limited medical capacity within the territory and the reliance on neighbouring states for specialised care. The European Union has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and adherence to international humanitarian law, while member states like France and Germany have urged restraint. The ongoing violence also echoes broader regional tensions, as seen in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon that killed eight people, including three civil defence medics.
For European observers, the repeated targeting of civilians in Gaza raises questions about the effectiveness of diplomatic efforts and the protection of children in conflict zones. The evacuation of young patients to Jordan offers a glimmer of hope, but the scale of need far exceeds current capacities. As the conflict grinds on, the toll on Gaza’s youngest residents continues to mount, with each death a stark reminder of the human cost of war.
