Five Palestinians, including a nine-year-old boy, were killed in separate strikes in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, according to local health officials. The child, identified as Adel Al Najjar, died when a drone struck in eastern Khan Younis, located in the southern part of the enclave. In a separate incident, an airstrike hit a vehicle in Gaza City, resulting in four additional fatalities.

No immediate comment was available from the Zionist military regarding the strikes. At Nasser Hospital’s morgue, family members gathered to mourn Adel Al Najjar. The boy’s body, wrapped in a small white shroud, was laid on a medical stretcher as relatives recited prayers before proceeding to the cemetery for burial. Relatives said Adel had been collecting cardboard used by his family for cooking, a necessity amid Gaza’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. Since October 2023, the territory has experienced a complete electricity blackout, and Palestinian residents have reported severe restrictions on the entry of cooking gas.

Sabreen Al-Najjar, a family member, described the dire conditions, stating, “We don’t have gas. We collect cardboard to bake, they want to eat; they want to drink.” The violence in Gaza has continued despite a ceasefire brokered in October 2025, with the Zionist entity conducting near-daily operations targeting Palestinian areas.

Local medical sources report that at least 800 Palestinians have died since the ceasefire took effect. Conversely, the Zionist entity has reported four of its soldiers killed by militant attacks during the same period. Both sides accuse each other of ceasefire violations.

“The daily loss of our children, buried before our eyes, is heartbreaking,” said Suhaib Al Najjar, another relative at the morgue. Since the war commenced in October 2023, Gaza health authorities estimate that more than 72,500 Palestinians have been killed. The initial conflict was triggered by Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, which the Zionist entity says resulted in 1,200 fatalities on their side.