Gaza Civil Defence Reports Nine Killed as Israeli Forces Fire on Bus

Gaza’s civil defence agency announced on Saturday that nine members of a single Palestinian family were killed after Israeli forces fired upon a bus on Friday. The Israeli military later confirmed it had targeted a vehicle that had crossed what it described as the “yellow line”.

Mahmud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defence — which operates under the Hamas administration — stated: “Civil defence crews were able to recover nine bodies following the Israeli occupation’s targeting of a bus carrying displaced persons east of the Zeitun neighbourhood yesterday.”

According to Bassal, all the victims belonged to the Abu Shabaan family, who were reportedly attempting to check on their home in the Zeitun area when the incident occurred.

Details from Both Sides

The Israeli military stated that troops had first fired warning shots toward what they described as a suspicious vehicle. However, the vehicle allegedly continued to approach the troops, leading soldiers to open fire.

“The troops fired warning shots toward the suspicious vehicle, but the vehicle continued to approach the troops in a way that caused an imminent threat to them,” the army said in its statement. “The troops opened fire to remove the threat, in accordance with the agreement.”

The current ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas has entered its second week, yet reports of sporadic incidents continue to surface. Several of these involve Israeli troops firing on individuals who have approached or crossed the “yellow line”, a designated boundary established under the ceasefire arrangement.

Since the truce began, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have attempted to return to northern Gaza in search of their homes. However, many are finding little more than ruins.

Residents who spoke to AFP described being unable to locate their houses or even familiar landmarks, as entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble by more than two years of relentless conflict.

“It is as if our city has been erased,” one resident said, searching among the debris where his home once stood.

The devastating incident in Zeitun underscores the fragility of the ceasefire and the immense suffering endured by civilians caught between shifting frontlines and the ruins of a prolonged war.