In a tragic incident underscoring the ongoing humanitarian emergency in Gaza, two Palestinian adolescents lost their lives on Saturday during an Israeli drone strike in the northern region. The victims, identified as 13-year-old Salman al-Zawarah and his 15-year-old cousin Mohammed al-Zawarah, were reportedly gathering essential firewood in the Beit Lahia project area adjacent to Kamal Adwan Hospital when the attack occurred.
This lethal strike represents the latest breach of the ceasefire agreement established between Israel and Hamas in October 2025. According to Gaza medical authorities, the casualties bring the number of Palestinians killed since the truce began to 483, with injuries surpassing 1,300 individuals.
The tragedy compounds an already dire situation where environmental and infrastructural collapse has created additional health hazards. Just days prior to this incident, two infants succumbed to extreme cold and dehydration resulting from exposure to sewage-contaminated environments. The Palestinian Health Ministry reports at least ten child fatalities from hypothermia since winter began.
The humanitarian catastrophe continues to intensify despite international agreements. United Nations assessments indicate approximately one million Gazans urgently require emergency shelter assistance. Following nearly two years of sustained bombardment, Israeli military operations have damaged or destroyed approximately 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure, displacing most residents into inadequate temporary shelters with insufficient heating capabilities.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) maintains that ‘the humanitarian situation and crisis in Gaza is far from being over,’ noting that Israeli attacks have resulted in 216 Palestinian fatalities—including 46 children and 28 women—in areas distant from established conflict zones, frequently affecting IDP shelters and residential buildings.