A pregnant Palestinian woman was killed on Saturday in southern Gaza after being shot in the head during an Israeli military operation, as violence across the Gaza Strip claimed at least 10 lives over two days. The woman, identified as 27-year-old Iman Shalouf, was nearly eight months pregnant when the gunfire struck her while she was inside her family’s tent in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, according to medical personnel and witnesses.
Paramedics and family members reported that Shalouf was rushed to Nasser Hospital, where doctors initially detected her unborn child’s heartbeat. However, both Shalouf and her baby later died. Relatives indicated that Shalouf had chosen the name Ayoub for the child, who was expected to be born in November. Funeral prayers were held at Nasser Hospital before her and the infant’s bodies were buried in Khan Younis.
Among those mourning was Ismail abu Mashi, Shalouf’s husband, who questioned the efficacy of ongoing ceasefire agreements, stating, “Where is the ceasefire they keep talking about? There is no such thing. There is killing every day.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Despite an official ceasefire declared in October 2025, violence and fatalities continue to afflict Palestinians in Gaza regularly. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that over the past 48 hours, Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling across northern, central, and southern Gaza resulted in the deaths of 10 Palestinians and left 56 others wounded.
Among the dead were four members of a family in Beit Lahiya: Momen Ahmed, his wife Haneen Saleh, and their daughters Lana, 12, and Bana, 8. Their home was reportedly hit Thursday night. Six others lost their lives on Friday in Khan Younis and Gaza City, including a man who succumbed to injuries from an earlier attack.
Reports from the Palestinian Red Crescent indicated that on Saturday, nine people were injured when a tent housing displaced persons in al-Mawasi was shelled. Additional casualties were recorded in Beit Lahiya on Friday, where two individuals were seriously wounded, including a six-month pregnant woman and a child.
On Friday, a vehicle in Tel al-Hawa in Gaza City was struck, killing two Palestinians and injuring several others, including passengers on a nearby bus carrying women and children, according to the health ministry.
UN agencies and aid organizations expressed concern regarding the impact on children. UNICEF reported that between August 23 and September 2, at least seven children were killed and numerous others injured in the conflict. Médecins Sans Frontières highlighted continued airstrikes by Israeli forces near medical facilities, noting that between September 6 and 9, 18 evacuation orders were issued and one building was targeted less than 250 feet from an MSF clinic.
The ongoing hostilities underscore the fragile security situation in Gaza, with intermittent violence persisting despite ceasefire efforts intended to halt hostilities and protect civilians.