Israeli air strike on Gaza tent kills and injures Palestinian children

An Israeli airstrike on a tent housing displaced Palestinians killed at least two people, including a child, and wounded four others in southern Gaza on Monday, in the latest ceasefire violation by Israeli forces.

Medics at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said a girl was killed in the attack while several other children were injured.

The airstrike hit the coastal area of Al-Mawasi, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have been living in tents and makeshift shelters since 2024.

The Israeli military alleged it had targeted a member of Hamas who was planning to attack its troops, although it did not provide evidence to support its claim.

Israel has violated the US-brokered truce hundreds of times since it came into force on 10 October.

At least 422 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces during the ceasefire, according to the Gaza health ministry, while almost 1,200 others have been wounded.

Israeli forces continue to occupy more than half of the strip under the terms of the ceasefire.

They have frequently killed civilians who have inadvertently crossed the nebulous "Yellow Line" delineating Israeli-occupied territory from the rest of Gaza.

Under the first phase of the truce, Hamas has released all living captives and all but one of the bodies of the deceased hostages.

The final captive, belonging to an Israeli police officer killed during the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, is yet to be found beneath the rubble.

Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 71,388 people and injured 171,269 others since 7 October 2023, according to the health ministry.

Its forces have destroyed almost all buildings and infrastructure in the territory, leaving most of the population living in camps or damaged homes, at great danger from the weather and falling masonry.

A father and son were killed earlier on Monday after the building they were living in collapsed, having been previously damaged in an Israeli airstrike, local authorities said.

Uncertainty over Gaza peacekeeping force

The president of Azerbaijan on Monday ruled out sending troops as part of peacekeeping operations in Gaza, injecting fresh uncertainty about the Trump administration's Gaza peace plan.

Speaking on Azeri television, President Ilham Aliyev said his government had discussed the US-backed multinational force with the Trump administration but had decided not to participate.

"We prepared a questionnaire of more than 20 questions and provided it to the American side. No participation in peacekeeping forces is envisaged," he said.

"I am not considering participation in hostilities outside Azerbaijan at all."

Azerbaijan had been one of a number of Muslim and Arab countries floated to contribute to the force, which is a key component of the Trump administration's plan to permanently end the war.

Efforts to set up the force have struggled to make progress amid disagreements over the scope of the mission and almost daily ceasefire violations by Israeli forces.

Arab countries oppose taking part in any efforts to disarm Hamas, a key objective of Israel and the US.

Israel has threatened to restart the war if Hamas refuses to surrender and leave the territory.

Aliyev's announcement came on the same day that US President Donald Trump discussed the ceasefire with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey – a close ally of Azerbaijan – has pushed the Trump administration to allow it to deploy troops in Gaza.

Israel has forcefully rejected any Turkish presence in the territory as relations between the two countries sink to historic lows over Gaza and Syria.