Israeli forces killed at least five Palestinians, including a nine-year-old girl, in separate attacks across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The killings occurred amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the besieged Palestinian territory.

A drone strike on a blacksmith’s shop in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City killed at least four Palestinians and wounded another. Officials at al-Shifa hospital confirmed the casualties, which were brought to the facility following the attack. The Israeli military stated it had targeted "terrorist infrastructure" in the area, without providing further details.

Separately, a nine-year-old girl, Tala Abu Matar, died when Israeli gunfire hit a camp for displaced people on the eastern side of the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, medics reported. These incidents follow earlier fatalities, including a Palestinian man who died of wounds sustained from Israeli fire near Al-Bureij camp on Friday, and another who succumbed to injuries from an Israeli drone strike east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The continued Israeli attacks come despite a US-brokered truce that went into effect in October. Since the ceasefire began, Gaza’s Health Ministry data indicates that Israeli actions have resulted in the deaths of at least 1,098 Palestinians and wounded 3,535 others within Gaza.

These latest escalations occur as Hamas leaders are in Cairo for talks aimed at implementing the second phase of a Gaza peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Sources close to the discussions indicated that the talks, which include Hamas disarmament and Israeli army withdrawals, have not yet yielded a breakthrough.

Since the start of what Gaza's Health Ministry describes as Israel's "genocidal war" in October 2023, the ministry has reported a total of at least 73,118 Palestinian deaths. Gaza's Government Media Office also stated last week that Israeli forces now control approximately 80 percent of Gaza, expanding their presence beyond the "Yellow Line" demarcation established under the ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli military's operations have increasingly targeted areas housing displaced populations. A previous Israeli strike on July 10 killed an aid worker and three others, reportedly on the eve of a major football match. The ongoing violence and rising death toll underscore the precarious humanitarian situation and the stalled peace process in the region.

Questions remain about the future of the ceasefire, the progress of the Cairo talks, and the extent of Israeli control within Gaza. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely, with concerns over civilian casualties and the potential for further escalation.