Cairo/Gaza, 15 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Israeli airstrikes hit a vehicle in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing at least two Palestinians, including a child, and wounding seven others, according to Gaza health officials. The Israeli military said it had targeted a militant in the area but provided no further details. Witnesses said some of the casualties were caused by a second strike that hit near a group of people who had rushed to the scene to help with the rescue. A video that could not be immediately verified by Reuters appeared to show a missile exploding near at least five men. Earlier, Palestinians held funerals in Gaza for Ahmed Al-Batsh and Rafat Zummar, who were killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier. Hamas sources and the Israeli military identified Batsh as a local Hamas commander, while medics said he was killed in an attack on his vehicle in northern Gaza. The Israeli military said in separate statements that it had killed both men and described Zummar as a Hamas commander, although Hamas did not immediately comment on his affiliation. Relatives and friends gathered at Gaza City’s Al Shifa Hospital to bid farewell to Batsh, whose body was wrapped in a white shroud and covered with a Hamas green flag.
An M16 assault rifle was placed on top of the body. Khalil Al-Batsh, a relative of the slain Hamas militant, said Israel’s actions would not eliminate the resistance, adding that the killing would strengthen Palestinians’ determination to continue their struggle. A U.S.-backed ceasefire that began in October 2025 halted large-scale fighting in Gaza but has not ended Israeli strikes, while little progress has been made toward a permanent peace agreement. Hamas has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and undermining efforts to implement U.S. President Donald Trump’s broader plan to end the Gaza conflict, which includes an Israeli withdrawal from the territory and the disarmament of Hamas. Israel, meanwhile, says Hamas has violated the ceasefire agreement. Gaza health officials say more than 1,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed.