Khan Yunis and Bureij under Fire as Israel Renews Shelling across Gaza
Israeli artillery, tanks, and drones pounded eastern Khan Yunis and nearby Bureij camp on Saturday, destroying homes despite the ongoing ceasefire.
Israeli artillery and tanks shelled the eastern and northern areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Saturday, while Israeli authorities confirmed that they had received the bodies of three prisoners from the Red Cross on Friday evening. The remains were transferred to the Forensic Medicine Institute for identification.
According to Al-Jazeera, Israeli occupation aircraft launched new airstrikes east of Khan Yunis, and the army demolished several residential buildings east of Gaza City.
A quadcopter drone also dropped bombs on the eastern side of Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip, as artillery and tank fire continued in nearby areas.
Local sources reported that Israeli forces are still carrying out large-scale demolitions east of Al-Bureij camp.
The current ceasefire ended a two-year Israeli genocidal war on Gaza that began on October 7, 2023, with direct US backing.
The war killed more than 68,000 people and wounded over 170,000, the vast majority of them women and children. Around 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure was destroyed, with UN estimates putting reconstruction costs at roughly $70 billion.
Examination of the Prisoners’ Remains
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said the Red Cross handed over the remains of three captives to the Israeli army, which then sent them for forensic examination to determine their identities. It remains unclear whether these bodies belong to any of the 11 Israeli captives still held in Gaza.
Israel’s Channel 13 reported that Hamas told the Red Cross it could not identify the owners of the bodies but suggested Israel carry out its own examination. The Israeli army said that “at least some bodies could be handed over soon,” while Hamas is still searching for the remains of three to five others.
These developments came one day after Israel received the remains of two other captives, Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch, who were identified by Israeli authorities.
Since the ceasefire came into effect, Hamas has handed over 20 living Israeli prisoners and the remains of 19 others, out of a total of 28, most of whom are Israeli nationals. Israel has previously claimed that one of the recovered bodies did not belong to any of its prisoners.
The transfers form part of the first phase of the “ceasefire and prisoner exchange” deal between Hamas and Israel, which began on October 10, 2025. Israel has conditioned the start of talks for a second phase on receiving the remaining bodies, while Hamas maintains that recovering them will take time due to the widespread destruction in Gaza.
Over 10,000 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, are currently held in Israeli prisons, where they face torture, starvation, and medical neglect. Many have died in custody, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations.
Meanwhile, the Gaza Government Media Office said that around 9,500 Palestinians remain missing under the rubble, believed to have been killed during Israel’s war.
