Israeli drone chases and kills elderly woman in Gaza as attacks continue

An elderly woman and her son were among at least seven Palestinians killed in the latest Israeli attacks in Gaza, as the military continues to operate across the “yellow line” ceasefire demarcation.

Health officials reported the killings on Saturday in Beit Lahiya, Jabalia, and Zeitoun, including a 70-year-old woman and her son, who were hunted down and killed by a drone in Gaza City.

The Israeli military said it killed three people in separate incidents, claiming they had crossed the “yellow line” – an unmarked boundary where the Israeli military repositioned itself when the ceasefire with Hamas came into effect on October 10.

However, media’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said the woman and her son were chased by a quadcopter drone about one kilometre [half a mile] from the yellow line and “left there to bleed to death” as the aircraft continued hovering overhead, preventing anyone from reaching them.

He described the incident as “just one of many violations throughout the day and throughout the past 50 days” since the truce came into effect.

He added that in areas close to the yellow line, many Palestinians may unwittingly cross the boundary because it is not visible.

“There are no clear markings or signage to show this is the ceasefire demarcation that is a restricted and dangerous area,” he said.

Elsewhere in Gaza on Saturday, Israeli forces demolished residential buildings and public infrastructure in the Shujayea district east of Gaza City, launching a major assault with tanks, attack drones, and ground troops that forced Palestinians to flee, media correspondents reported.

The military has begun erecting sand barriers that isolate the eastern part of the city, and Israeli forces have also pushed tanks and armoured vehicles 300 to 500 metres (985- 1,640 feet) beyond the yellow line near Salah al-Din Street in western Gaza City.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said at the Doha Forum on Saturday that the Gaza ceasefire is at a “critical moment” and was at risk of falling apart without a renewed push towards finding a permanent end to the war.

Also at the Doha Forum, Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Manal Radwan said, “We don’t see that we have a partner for peace. Not even a partner for a sustainable ceasefire.”

The killings on Saturday bring the death toll since the October ceasefire to at least 367 Palestinians, with 953 wounded and 624 bodies recovered from rubble, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

UNICEF said 70 children were among those killed.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is intensifying as winter sets in.

On Saturday, Israeli human rights group B’Tselem said Israel’s restrictions on aid, including winter essentials, have left children in summer clothing and barefoot in the cold after storms destroyed 13,000 tents last month.

The group said this represents “a direct result of Israeli policy and international silence”.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), one in four households is eating only a single meal daily, while 10 percent went an entire day without food at least once in the past month.

OCHA said humanitarian operations also remain critically underfunded, with only 40 percent of the $4bn appeal met for people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Elsewhere, eight Muslim-majority nations, including Egypt and Qatar, released a statement rejecting Israel’s plan to make the Rafah crossing one-way for Palestinians leaving Gaza, warning it would violate the US-brokered peace deal and risk enabling forced displacement.

At least 1.9 million people – roughly 90 percent of Gaza’s population – have been displaced during the war, according to the UN.