Israel shoots child in Gaza as US drafts Hamas disarmament plan

Israeli forces wounded a Palestinian child in Gaza on Wednesday after opening fire in the Khan Younis area, as US media published a draft of Washington's plan to disarm Hamas.

Medical sources said the child, whose name has not been revealed, was shot in Al-Batn Al-Samin in southern Gaza.

Gaza's government media office said shortly afterwards that Israel had committed at least 1,620 violations of the truce agreement since it was implemented on 10 October 2025.

The office said 573 people have been killed and 1,553 wounded, adding that the Israeli army continues to undermine the agreement through persistent and deliberate violations, including gunfire, shelling, incursions and the demolition of homes.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reported on Tuesday that it had obtained a draft of a US plan for Gaza, where Washington would demand Hamas surrender all weapons capable of being used against Israel, although some light arms might be permitted in the initial period of disarmament.

The report said a US-led team, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and former UN official Nikolay Mladenov, would head what is being described as a 'peace council'.

The draft is expected to be shared with Hamas within weeks, the report added.

Israeli media also reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to tell Trump on Wednesday that the second phase of the truce agreement was "not moving".

Citing an unnamed source, the report said Israel had informed Washington that another military operation may be required to advance Trump's apparent vision for Gaza, with the Israeli military already drawing up plans for a renewed offensive aimed at forcibly disarming Hamas.

The developments come as 41 Palestinians made their way back to Gaza after receiving medical care abroad and continuing their treatment at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

Rising malnutrition

Hunger and malnutrition linked to Israeli aid restrictions continue to plague parts of Gaza, which again remains at risk of famine.

Israeli forces are still carrying out near-daily raids across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, carrying out several incursions and arrests on Wednesday.

Local media reported that troops broke into dozens of homes, vandalised property, and detained residents for hours before interrogating them.

Maha Abdul Rahman al Rifai was among those detained in Jerusalem, with Israeli forces accusing her of sharing "incendiary material" on Facebook.

In Bethlehem, Palestinian resident Ahmed al Souman was detained during a raid in the Al-Fawaghra neighbourhood, followed by the arrest of Ahmed Osama Sabah in the town of Tuqu.

Arrests were also reported in Nablus and Hebron, with at least a dozen people detained.

On Tuesday, both France and Switzerland condemned Israeli measures in the occupied West Bank, including new rules that expand control over Palestinian land.

"France strongly condemns the Israeli security cabinet’s decisions aimed at expanding Israel’s control over the West Bank, particularly Areas A and B. These decisions are contrary to international law and represent a dangerous challenge to the Oslo Accords and the Hebron Protocol," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

France called on Israel to "immediately reverse these decisions" and reaffirmed its "strong opposition to any form of annexation".

Switzerland’s foreign ministry said on X that it "strongly condemns the measures approved on 8 February 2026 by the Israeli Security Cabinet concerning the occupied West Bank".

It added that Israeli settlement activity is illegal under international law and that the new measures "undermine the two-state solution".